Experiment 10: reversibility, Purpose, Setup – PASCO OS-8515C Basic Optics System User Manual
Page 29: Angle of refraction, R1 angle of incidence, I2 angle of refraction, R2 trial 1 trial 2 angle of incidence

®
M o d e l N o . O S - 8 5 1 5 C
E x p e r i m e n t 1 0 : R e v e r s i b i l i t y
29
Experiment 10: Reversibility
Purpose
In Trial 1 of this experiment, you will determine the relationship between the angle of
incidence and the angle of refraction for light passing from air into a more optically
dense medium (the acrylic of the D-shaped lens).
In Trial 2, you will determine whether the same relationship holds between the angles
of incidence and refraction for light passing out of a more optically dense medium
back into air. That is to say, if the light is traveling in the opposite direction through
the lens, is the law of refraction the same or different? By comparing the results of
both trials, you will find the answer to this question.
In Figure 10.1, notice that refraction occurs only at the flat surface of the D-shaped
lens, not at the curved surface.
Figure 10.1: Refraction of light passing into the lens (Trial 1) and out of the lens (Trial 2)
Setup
1.
Place the light source in ray-box mode on a
flat tabletop. Turn the wheel to select a single
ray.
2.
Put the ray table in front of the light source so
the ray from the light source crosses the exact
center of the ray table.
3.
Put the D-shaped lens on the ray table exactly
centered in the marked outline.
Required Equipment from Basic Optics System
Ray Table
D-shaped Lens
Light Source
90
90
80
70
60
50
60
70
80
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
70
60
50
80
90
80
50
60
70
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
50
COMPONENT
COMPONENT
NORMAL
NORMAL
BASIC OPTICS
RA
Y T
ABLE
OS-8465
C
T
L
NORMAL
90 90
80
70
60
50
60
70
80
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
70
60
50
80
90
80
50
60
70
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
50
COMPONENT
COMPONENT
NORMAL
NORMAL
BASIC OPTICS
RAY
TABLE
OS-8465
C
T
NOR
Angle of
refraction
θ
r1
Angle of
incidence
θ
i2
Angle of
refraction
θ
r2
Trial 1
Trial 2
Angle of
incidence
θ
i1
90
90
80
70
60
50
60
70
80
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
70
60
50
80
90
80
50
60
70
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
50
COMPONENT
COMPONENT
NORMAL
NORMAL
BASIC OPTICS
RAY TABLE
OS-8465
RA
90
90
80
70
60
50
60
70
80
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
70
60
50
80
90
80
50
60
70
20
30
40
10
0
10
40
30
20
50
COMPONENT
COMPONENT
NORMAL
NORMAL
BASIC OPTICS
RAY TABLE
OS-8465
RA
Light Source
Ray Table
Single
Ray
Figure 10.2: Initial setup for Trial 1