Two small closely mounted bulbs simulate resolution problems.
The ability to resolve two closely separated stars depends upon the aperture size of the observing instrument. Here two tiny bulbs represent stars that are barely resolvable by...
The criterion for the resolution of two sources is that the central maximum of the single slit interference pattern of one source falls on the first minimum of the pattern of the second source.
Each laser beam passing through...
The photoemission of electrons from a metal surface depends on the energy of the incident radiation and not on its intensity. Knowing the energy of the emitted photoelectrons and the frequency of the incident light, you can calculate a...
A beam of laser light can be trapped inside a stream of water by suffering total internal reflection—the aquatic equivalent of a fiber optic cable.
A stream of water flows from a hole in the side of a soda bottle (Figure 1...
The setup shows the direct comparison between four capillary tubes of different bores. The...
Laser and plastic lens with curvature to simulate bending of light by massive object.
Gravitational lensing is caused by the bending of light rays by the gravitational field of an intervening object. The effect is seen with the Sun, but is...
As a simulation of atmospheric refraction, this demonstration shows the gradual and continuous bending of light due to a gradient in the optical density of the medium. In this case the variable refracting medium is a tank of sugar water...
Waves reflecting from two surfaces can interfere constructively and destructively. In this case it is light waves that are being reflected at glass/air and air/glass interfaces. The interference produces a concentric ring pattern of rainbow...
Wave/particle duality observed in Young's double slit experiment with camera sensitive to individual photons.
What it shows:
In this demonstration we perform the double-slit interference experiment with extremely dim light and show that even when the light...
The simplest method of controlling light to form an image is to use an opaque mask with a pinhole in it. Rectilinear propagation of light explains all (nearly). A video camera is substituted for the old prototypal shoe box so that an entire...
Light, passing through heavy glass, has its direction of polarization rotated slightly if a magnetic field is applied to the glass.
In 1845, Michael Faraday discovered experimentally that a magnetic field can affect the polarization of light...
