Resonance Experiment 10. This laboratory is to demonstrate how the very simple principles of reflection and refraction lead to sophisticated optical instruments. Your measurements will consist of pencil marks on the piece of paper, recording the direction of these rays before and after they strike a mirror or glass prism. Then you will progress to the study of lenses.
Lenses are in essence refracting objects with precisely machined curved surfaces.
Finally, you will construct simple two-lens optical instruments, a microscope and telescope. Do this for at least three different incident angles q incident . This effect is the basis for efficient transmission of light through glass fibers in modern communication technology. Use your prism to determine q critical and its uncertainty. Compare the measured value with what you expect on the basis of the equation above.