OBJECT: To study the basic optical properties of mirrors, prisms, and lenses by the use of an optical disk.
METHOD: A light source sends parallel rays of light to an optical disk. The paths of the rays are observed after they strike various optical devices, such as mirrors, prisms, and lenses, which are mounted on the disk. From these observations the fundamental principles that govern the reflection and refraction of light are studied.
THEORY: A beam of light can be represented by a single line, a ray, parallel to the direction in which the light is propagated. When a beam of light strikes a surface of a different medium some of the light may be reflected, some may be transmitted, and the remainder is absorbed. The light which is reflected from a smooth surface and that which is transmitted through the medium obey certain elementary laws. Those laws will be studied in this experiment.
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