Lesson 5 Lab Experiment (s)

Bumper Cars - How Pulses of Light Race to the Finish Line

These is the lab experiment for Lesson 5. Please conduct these experiments under direct supervision of an adult including a parent or teacher.

Experiment #1 - Splitting Light With Prism
Objective: Demostrat nature of light in optics

In this experiment we will use a variety of light sources to observe the effects of light passing through a prism. If you do not have a prism available, Amazon has several available below $10.00.

Required Materials:
1. Prism
2. Variety of light sources (flashlight, keychnain laser pointer, etc.

Splitting Light With Prism

Try to find a variety of light sources to pass through the prism to observe the type of light rays emitted out of the prism. For example, use a flashlight with a real bulb, then use a flashlight with an LED bulb. Try to use one of the new energy-efficient tube lamps and any other light source available to observe the differences.

The basic premise of this experiment is to demonstrate that optical fibers provide a number of wavelengths that can be accessed in a manner similar to the prism, allowing many subscribers to share the same optical fiber up to the last few thousand feet.

This concludes the experiments for Chapter 5- Bumper Cars - How Pulses of Light Race to the Finish Line

Don't forget you can order a sample fiber from a real telephone cable for use in some experiments by clicking the ORDER FIBER button on the top right of the Home page. Prices from $1.00 per fiber. Great way to earn extra credits in your next Technical Presentation, Science Fair or Merit Badge!