Light - Assignment 2

 
1. Short Answer:
 
  A) What is the relationship between light and a laser? This question can be answered by accessing the website http://nobelprize.org/physics/educational/laser/facts/ or clicking here for a copy.
   
  B) Does light travel in a straight line? What are crepuscular rays and how do they support your answer? This question can be answered by accessing the website College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona.

2. Match the Following Words with the Appropriate Definition:
 To find a definition on the web, go to www.google.ca and type in the word (or phrase in quotes) and add the word definition at the end, this will access the online dictionary.

  Words: Speed Absolute Index of Refraction Index of Refraction
    Light Year Relative Index of Refraction  
     
  Definition - The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum (c) to the speed of light
  in another given medium (v)
    - The distance traveled by light in one year (9.46 x 1015m)
    - The relative difference between the speed of light in a vacuum and the
  speed of light in a particular medium (also called refractive index).
    - The relative difference between the speed of light in two different mediums.
    - An instantaneous measurement of the distance covered in a measure of time.


3. What were the methods used by Galileo, Roemer, Fizeau, and Michelson to measure the speed of light?
You should have a minimum of 5 sentences for both and a diagram to help explain their method of determining the speed of light. You could visit University of Colorado Physics Tutorial, Open Door Physics (copy), University of Virginia: Galileo & Einstein Physics, and Wikipedia Online Dictionary to help you answer this question.

 

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