Experiment 1

An Optics Bank

Materials:

·         Table

·         A meter stick

·         2 pieces of wood, or heavy cardboard

·         1 concave lens

·         1 candle

·         1 sheet of paper

Procedure

1. Use 2 pieces of wood, or heavy cardboard as stands by cutting a place in each of the pieces (the lens will fit into one, and the candle will fit into the other)
2. Use a sheet of white paper as a screen
3. Hold the sheet of the ruler.
4. Turn off the lights, and light the candle.
5. Place the candle on the other side of the lens, and move the lens back and forth until an image forms on the screen.
6. Measure the distance from the candle to the lens (d_o) and the distance from the lens to the image (d_i). 
7. The instrument can be used to study lenses, mirrors, diffraction and interference of light (with minor substitutions of the equipment).