What Happens When You Play with a 3 Dollar Diffraction Grating?

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of a 3 dollar diffraction grating to observe the spectrum of light emitted by a streetlight. The pictures and video demonstrate the effect of a light pollution filter and an Oxygen-III filter on the observed spectrum. The conversation also mentions the potential educational value of this experiment in media arts classes.
  • #1
Drakkith
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So I bought a 3 dollar diffraction grating and was playing around with it. Here's a few pictures I took just holding it up in front of my cell phone camera. Notice the bright lines in the spectrum that correspond to specific atomic transitions in the streetlight. The spectrum is dominated by Yellow-Red light and very little Blue, which of course is why the light is yellowish.

The 1st picture is the 0 and 1st order fringes (0 order is just the regular image, no fringes). The 2nd picture is the 1st and 2nd order fringes. The third is identical to the 1st image, but I held up a light pollution filter in front of the grating and camera. Notice the near complete removal of the yellow portion of the spectrum, which should correspond to the light emitted by Sodium in the streetlight. (The light pollution filter is designed to block this specific part of the spectrum to cut down on light pollution when viewing/imaging near or inside of cities)

Also, made a little video with an Oxygen-III filter held in front of it. As I tilted the filter the wavelengths that were passed shifted. Go full screen and high quality to get the best view.
[Apparently I removed the video from my youtube account a few years ago and it has now been lost]
 

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  • #2
Things like this should be useful in media arts classes (lighting, photography, video, etc).
I took some of these classes and some (but not all) the students did not understand the nature of the electromagnetic spectrum, its relation to light, and our perception of color.
Things like this make matching illuminating light and perceived colors much more real for some.
 
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  • #3
Says video is unavailable...
 
  • #4
Weird, it was there when I posted it, but now it is not there.
I put it back, maybe it will stay put this time!
 
  • #5
BillTre said:
Weird, it was there when I posted it, but now it is not there.
I put it back, maybe it will stay put this time!
Not yours, the one posted by @Drakkith.
 
  • #6
Wrichik Basu said:
Says video is unavailable...

Hah! I think I removed it from my youtube account! I'll see if I can delete the link.
 
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What is "A Little Optics Experiment"?

"A Little Optics Experiment" is a simple experiment designed to demonstrate the principles of optics, specifically the behavior of light when it passes through different materials.

What materials are needed for this experiment?

The materials needed for this experiment include a light source (such as a flashlight), a clear container (such as a glass jar or plastic cup), and various objects with different optical properties (such as a pencil, plastic spoon, and glass marble).

What is the purpose of this experiment?

The purpose of this experiment is to show how light behaves when it passes through different materials, and to demonstrate concepts such as reflection, refraction, and absorption. It can also be used to discuss the properties of light, such as wavelength and frequency.

What are some possible variations of this experiment?

Some possible variations of this experiment include using different light sources or materials, adding filters or lenses to the setup, and changing the angle or distance of the light source to the objects. These variations can help to further explore the principles of optics and can be tailored to different age groups and levels of understanding.

What are the potential real-world applications of this experiment?

The principles demonstrated in this experiment have many real-world applications, such as in the design of lenses for glasses or cameras, the creation of optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes, and the development of technologies like fiber optics and laser technology. This experiment can also help to foster an interest in science and inspire future exploration and innovation in the field of optics.

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