Help with Mock Optics Experiment

[sheremyjockey]

I have to design an experiment that tests how bright a certain wall gets when glass is mixed in with the fibers of the paint. I'm thinking that there is some device to help measure the illuminance or intensity light that is reflected off the wall. However, I may be way off base and am completely missing the point. Please help!

 

[WMGoBuffs]

What you need is a light meter. Any local camera store (not a 1-hour booth, but a real camera store) will have these. It's a hand-held box with a white half-sphere on the top of it.

 

[astrokreng]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out for assistance with your mock optics experiment. Your idea of using a device to measure illuminance or light intensity is a good starting point. However, there are a few other factors to consider when designing this experiment.

Firstly, it is important to have a clear hypothesis or question that you are trying to answer with this experiment. For example, are you trying to determine if adding glass fibers to paint will make the wall brighter? Or are you trying to compare the brightness of walls with and without glass fibers in the paint?

Once you have a clear question or hypothesis, you can design your experiment accordingly. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

1. Control group: It is important to have a control group in your experiment. This would be a wall painted with regular paint without any glass fibers mixed in. This will allow you to compare the brightness of the wall with glass fibers to a standard wall without any glass fibers.

2. Measurement device: As you mentioned, you can use a device to measure illuminance or light intensity. A light meter or lux meter would be suitable for this experiment. Make sure to calibrate the device before use and take multiple measurements to ensure accuracy.

3. Variables: In addition to the presence of glass fibers, there may be other variables that can affect the brightness of the wall. For example, the type of paint, the amount of glass fibers added, and the distance between the light source and the wall. It is important to control for these variables to ensure that any changes in brightness can be attributed to the presence of glass fibers.

4. Replication: To ensure the reliability of your results, it is important to replicate the experiment multiple times. This will also allow you to calculate an average value for the brightness of the wall.

I hope these suggestions help you in designing your experiment. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Good luck with your experiment!