Once again, the reality is weirder than any fiction imaginable. The debate was settled until a young German physicist named Albert Einstein got a Nobel Prize for proving that light was actually, made of particles. The experiment proved that light is a wave, as the slits created a diffraction pattern behind them. According to Newton, however, the light would go through the slits, and create two lines on the screen representing the aperture they went through, just like water passing through individual nozzles on a shower head to create separate streams. If the light was a wave, it should diffract and create a pattern similar to what we've seen today since (according to Huygens' principle) both slits would become secondary emitters of light and create interferences. To find out the truth, Young took an opaque material and made two very thin slits on it so that only the smallest bit of light would pass through it. Sir Isaac Newton and company believed the light was made out of tiny particles bouncing around, while Christian Huygens and others believed light was, in fact, a wave. In 1801, Thomas Young wanted to settle once and for all the centuries' debate over the nature of light. Those are two of the most important concepts to understand how waves behave.īut, if that is not enough for you, let us point out that this experiment is based on what is, arguably, the most important and famous experiment in the history of science: Youngs' double-slit experiment. First of all, you have learned about wave interference and Huygens' principle. This might seem like a fun experiment without any Real World™ benefits, but we're here to argue against that. The order is shown in the image, with no preference for right or left, unlike some news outlets. If you do so, simply remember to change the position to the correct one in the calculator (available under Advanced Mode). dark spot instead, bringing the relative error down. However, the uncertainty or error of such a measurement can be fairly high, making our calculation of the hair width not as precise as we would like.Ī simple way to improve our results is to measure the distance to the second or third or fourth or. Typically, the distance we measure from the center of the pattern to the black spot refers to the first dark spot because the math is much easier. So, in the pattern, there should be several dark spots. However, the position of the dark spot is something that needs clarification since it is an advanced feature of the calculator that can help us make more precise measurements. If you are having trouble, remember that you can also refer to the video we made, where we also go into more detail explaining the physics behind the experiment. Most of these values are easy to understand and calculate using the diagram and the calculator. because if you only want the number, there's no need to get bogged down in solving equations and remembering how to calculate trigonometric functions. Notice that we have not even mentioned any formulas or mathematical concepts. The distance from the center of the diffraction pattern to the dark spot you chose.Ī second to pause and enjoy a job well done! (Optional) The position of your black spot (more on this later). The wavelength of the laser (it's typically printed on the warning label on the laser itself). The distance from the hair to the wall where you see the diffraction pattern. The first thing you need to do is gather all the data for measuring the width of the hair. We will have time later to bury ourselves in the experiment's math and geometry, but if all we want is to measure stuff, we can just do that. Let's start with the easiest and most sensible option: using the hair diffraction calculator. Prefer watching rather than reading? Learn all you need with this video we made for you: So come on in, learn about the most famous experiment in physics, and how to measure your own hair with a laser pointer! and never have to do any calculation (if you don't want to). And that's why we've made this calculator at Omni you can calculate the width of your hair, learn about the physics behind it. The stories, the strange phenomena, and the super-cool uses of common items are what we all want and love. Let's be honest, the most boring part of science is doing the calculations. What if I told you that, with the hair diffraction calculator, you could use light to measure the width of one of your hairs? Sounds like magic? Maybe it requires a superpower? No, it's just physics! Nothing to be scared of, we have created a calculator, a video, and the best explanation on the web to help you understand what diffraction is and how to harvest the (super)power of lasers from the comfort of your own home!
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