first interference lab

Experiment 1:

We began by putting 1 meter stick and 1 half meter stick 2 meters

apart, parallel to one another, and with the 0cm marks lining up. We put 2 long

paper clip chains 50cm apart on each side of the half meter stick. We held down the ends of

the chains where they touched the half meter stick. We pulled the other

ends toward the meter stick and brought the ends together until the ends were

the same distance away from the meter stick and parallel to the meter stick.

We noted what cm mark corresponded to the middle of where the chains connected.

We then moved the ends of the chains near the meter stick (but not the ones near the half

meter stick) at an angle until the end of one chain was one paper clip away from the end of

the other chain. We noted what cm mark corresponded to the middle of where the one chain

connected to the one paper clip back from the end of the other chain. We continued with measuring

the marks with one chain two paper clips away from the other and then three paper clips away.

@&

Good description of the system.

*@

Our Data:

1 clip difference: 14 cm

Chains even length: 33 cm

1 clip difference: 55 cm

2 clip difference: 74 cm

3 clip difference: 90 cm

Experiment 2:

Repeat all steps of Experient 1 but keep the chain ends at the half meter stick at the 10 cm and 40 cm marks.

Our Data:

1 clip difference: 4.5 cm

Chains even length: 30 cm

1 clip difference: 58 cm

2 clip difference: 83 cm

Experiment 3:

We began by putting 1 meter stick and 1 half meter stick 2 meters

apart, parallel to one another, and with the 0cm marks lining up. We put 2 long

paper clip chains 50cm apart on each side of the half meter stick. We held down the ends of

the chains where they touched the half meter stick. We pulled the other

ends toward the meter stick, keeping the ends 50 cm apart. We put another half meter stick

above the chains with one end touching the end of the half meter stick and the other end at an

angle so that the end is one half of a paperclip away from the half meter stick. We moved the meter

stick ends of the chain until they were perpendicular to the angled half meter stick. We noted the

cm marks of the two chain ends near the meter stick. We repeated the process angling the angled meter

stick so that the one end was 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5 paperclips away.

Our data:

0.5 clip difference: 20-70 cm

1 clip difference: 31-81 cm

1.5 clip difference: 36-86 cm

2 clip difference: 48-98 cm

2.5 clip difference: 58-108 cm

3 clip difference: 60-110 cm

3.5 clip difference: 71-121 cm

4 clip difference: 85-135 cm

4.5 clip difference: 97-147 cm

Experiment 4:

We set up a laser 20 ft. away from a blank background. We held transparent cards

with different gradients directly in front of the beam. We observed that the gradient

split the beam into multiple dots. We then used a meter stick to put the center dot at

a point on the meter stick (any point works). We then measured how far away the dots to the

left and right of the center dot were.

Our Data:

Gradient 1:

2.5 cm long, 49 lines

Center: 2.75 cm mark

Right: 3.5 cm mark

2nd Right: 4.25 cm mark

Left: 2.25 cm mark

2nd Left: 1 cm mark

@&

Good, but it would be better to list the positions from left to right, which is more systematic and easier to follow.

*@

Gradient 2:

1.3 cm long, 14 lines

Center: 8 cm mark

Right: 7 cm mark

Left: 9 cm mark

Gradient 3:

2.5 cm long, 14 lines

Center: 2 cm mark

Right: 3 cm mark

2nd Right: 4 cm mark

Left: 1 cm mark

2nd Left: 0 cm mark