TheLaboratory

Young'sExperimentLab
TeachersGuide

Topic:

LightandColor

Thefollowinginformationisprovidedtothestudent:

Question:
Whatisthewavelengthofredlaserlight?

Purpose:
Todeterminethewavelengthofredlaserlightinunitsofnanometers.

AcompletelabwriteupincludesaTitle,aPurpose,aDatasection,aConclusionandaDiscussionof
Results.TheDatasectionshouldincludeatopviewoftheexperimentalsetupwithmeasuredvalues
labeledonthediagram;themeasurementsshouldberelatedtothevariablesy,d,m,andLandthe
unitsshouldbeclearlystated.Calculationsshouldbeclearlyandsystematicallyshown;conversionof
unitsshouldbepartofthework;unitsshouldbestated.TheConclusionshouldstatethe
experimentallydeterminedvalueforthewavelengthofredlight.TheDiscussionofResultssection
shouldincludeanerroranalysis;apercenterrorcalculationshouldbeincludedinthediscussion;
workshouldbeshown.

MaterialsRequired:
Laserlight;slidewithadoubleslitofknownseparationdistance;slideholder;projectionscreen;
meterstick;measuringtape.

DescriptionofProcedure:
Alaserlightisplacedonatableinthebackoftheroom.Aslideholderispositionedinfrontofthelaser
onthesametable.Aslidecontainingadoubleslitisplacedintheslideholder.Thelaserisdirectedat
thedoubleslitandtheresultingpatternisprojectedontoascreeninthefrontoftheroom.Oncethe
projectedtwopointsourceinterferencepatternisprojectedontothescreen,measurementsaremade
todeterminethewavelengthoflight.Theslitseparationdistanceisretrievedfromtheslide.

AlternativeMaterialsandProcedure:
AnonlineinteractiveversionofYoung'sExperimentisavailableattheShockwavePhysicsStudios
sectionofThePhysicsClassroomwebsite.Visit:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/shwave/youngs.cfm
Anextensivesetofdirectionsfortheactivityisavailable.Viewdirections.

SafetyConcern:
Thereisalwaysahigherthanusuallevelofriskassociatedwithworkinginasciencelab.Teachers
shouldbeawareofthisandtakethenecessaryprecautionstoinsurethattheworkingenvironmentisas
safeaspossible.Lightfromlasersshouldneverbepointedintoaperson'seye.Cautionshouldbetaken
toavoidsuchmishaps.Studenthorseplayandofftaskbehaviorsshouldnotbetolerated.

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009

TheLaboratory
Suggestions,Precautions,Notes:
1.
2.
3.

Warnstudentsinadvanceofthelaboftheneedtoneverdirectlaserlightatanotherperson'seye.
SlidescontainingadoubleslitforthepurposeofperformingYoung'sexperimentareavailable
fromsciencesupplyhouses.Theslitseparationdistanceisusuallyprintedupontheslide.
Thetheoreticalwavelengthofthelightemittedbythelaserisusuallystampedatsomelocationon
thehousingofthelaser.Thisvaluecanbeusedinapercenterrorcalculation.Studentresultsfor
thecalculatedwavelengthareusuallywithin5%oftheexpectedvalue.

AuxiliaryMaterials:
Thefollowingpageisprovidedtothestudentforcompletionandinclusionintheirlabnotebook.

ScoringRubric:
L3.

Young'sExperimentLab
Included,labeledandorganizedallpartsofthelabreport.
Datasectionincludesatopviewoftheexperimentalsetup;measurements
ofy,d,mandLareshownonthediagramandequatedwiththeirsymbol;
unitsarestated.Wavelengthcalculationisshown;workisclearand
accurate;attentionisgiventotheconversionofunits.Usednanometersfor
thewavelength.
Conclusionstatedthewavelengthofredlightinnanometers.Theproper
numberofsignificantdigitsisused.
DiscussionofResultsincludesanerroranalysis;workisshownandlabeled
forapercenterrorcalculation.

Score

_____/_____

ConnectionstoThePhysicsClassroomTutorial:
Thefollowingreadingsareasuitableaccompanimenttothislab:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/u12l3a.cfm
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/u12l3b.cfm
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/u12l3c.cfm
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/u12l3d.cfm

ConnectionstoMindsonPhysicsInternetModules:
TherearenosublevelsofMindsonPhysicswhichpertaintothetopicofYoung'sexperiment.

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009