My First Double Slit Experiment

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the practical execution of a double slit experiment, focusing on the methods and materials used by participants to achieve interference patterns. It includes personal experiences, suggestions for alternative setups, and inquiries about the feasibility of certain components in a home experiment context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes successfully conducting a double slit experiment using aluminum foil and a red laser, noting the simplicity of the setup.
  • Another participant suggests using a CD or DVD to reflect laser light for a wider interference pattern, proposing it as an alternative method to achieve diffraction.
  • A different participant recalls the possibility of creating interference templates using photocopiers and transparency paper, indicating potential for varied approaches.
  • One participant expresses enthusiasm about the experiment's simplicity, while another questions the practicality of incorporating a detector into the setup at home.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to share a general enthusiasm for the double slit experiment and its accessibility, but there are differing opinions on the best methods and materials to use, as well as uncertainty regarding the feasibility of certain components.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions depend on specific conditions, such as the quality of materials available or the intended precision of the experiment. The discussion does not resolve the practicality of using a detector in a home setup.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in conducting simple physics experiments, educators looking for hands-on activities, and hobbyists exploring optics and wave phenomena.

thenewmans
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Excuse me for patting myself on the back here but I just did my first successful double slit experiment. And it was easy! I poked 2 small holes in aluminum foil just as close as I could and shined my kid’s cheap red laser through them and Viola! I thought I needed razors and prisms and 2 lasers, but no. It took me about 5 minutes to get it right. Now I have to figure out how to get a detector by one of the holes.
 
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Try reflecting laser light from a cd or dvd, you will
get very wide interference pattern, and only see 1 or 2
maxima. Also, strip the foil carefully off the cd
and you can shine laser through to get a very
good diffraction grating. The grooves are very close
- much better than you can get with a pin.
 
This reminds me, I once read that you could make interference templates with photocopiers and using transparency paper. I imagine that could work with a printer as well.
 
Very Cool! That took about 5 seconds.
 
thenewmans said:
Now I have to figure out how to get a detector by one of the holes.

Is that really something a person can do at home on the cheap? Serious question.
 

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