A lithography lab course has been developed that is applicable to students from the middle-school level up to college students. It can also be inserted into electronics technology or similar courses in two- and four-year colleges, or used to demonstrate applications of polymers in chemistry classes. Some of these techniques would enable research…

Describes an experiment in which a simple laser-based apparatus is used for measuring the change in refractive index during the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of glycidol into glycerine. Gives a schematic of the experimental setup and discusses the kinetic analysis. (MVL)

Describes a number of activities designed to assist student understanding of the phenomenon of light bending when it passes from one meduim to another. (JR)

Describes use of a Fresnel biprism to demonstrate double-slit interference with polarized light. Discusses polarization and phase properties of a randomly polarized gas. (JM)

Describes a thin film rectangular dielectric waveguide and its laboratory use. Discusses the theory of uniaxial thin film waveguides with mathematical expressions and the laboratory procedures for a classroom experiment with diagrams. (Author/YP)

Described are the purposes, laboratory set-ups, and procedures of four classroom experiments: ultrasound speedometer; vibrating-bar depth gauge; folding three-dimensional model of equipotential surfaces; and a simple optical system for the reconstruction of images from computer-generated holograms. Diagrams and pictures are provided. (YP)

Describes the layout, working principle, and uses of an ultrasonic interferometer for demonstrating the impact of the motion of the medium upon wave propagation. Suggests some technical improvements of the interferometer. (YP)

Presents ideas on how common household light bulbs can be used to develop interest in learning physics. Focuses on supermarket data taking and analyses, filament temperatures, detective work with three-way bulbs, and lifetime statistics. (YP)

Describes an advanced laboratory experiment of Fresnel diffraction which uses a He-Ne gas laser as the source and a wire as the opaque diffracting strip. A photograph of the diffraction pattern is compared with the intensity diagram predicted by the Cornu spiral method. Agreement is clear and impressive, although minor differences are detectable.…

Describes the necking of polymer sheets that occurs when they are stretched. Discusses the effect and the mechanisms of necking. Lists four references. (YP)

Background information and procedures are provided for an optics experiment related to diffraction order asymmetry. (JN)

Suggests experiments to help develop understanding of photoconductivity, photometry, and the inverse square law in optics. The design of a simple absorption colorimeter is also described. (DH)

This module is designed to give the learner an understanding of the nature of light and how its properties are used in the design of spectrophotometers. Problems promote the use of spectrophotometers in qualitative analysis, the optical elements used in a monochromator, and the physical properties of the prism and the diffraction grating. Other…