PASCO WA-9316A Complete Microwave Optics System - Manual (Page 10)

Experiment Guide Experiment 2: Reflection
10
Questions
1. What relationship holds between the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection? Does this relationship hold for all
angles of incidence?
2. In measuring the angle of reflection, you measured the angle at which a maximum meter reading was found. Can you
explain why some of the wave reflected into different angles? How does this affect your answer to question 1?
3. Ideally you would perform this experiment with a perfect plane wave, so that all the Transmitter radiation strikes the
Reflector at the same angle of incidence. Is the microwave from the Transmitter a perfect plane wave (see Experiment 1,
step 7)? Would you expect different results if it were a perfect plane wave? Explain.
Questions for Additional Experimentation
1. How does reflection affect the intensity of the microwave? Is all the energy of the wave striking the Reflector reflected?
Does the intensity of the reflected signal vary with the angle of incidence?
2. Metal is a good reflector of microwaves. Investigate the reflective properties of other materials. How well do they reflect?
Does some of the energy pass through the material? Does the material absorb some of it? Compare the reflective proper-
ties of conductive and non-conductive materials.