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Corte Thiago Zacarias Physics Extended Essay

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The Undulatory Phenomena of Light

“To what extent can the light's undulatory phenomena be proven by

using the equipment of a school's laboratory?”

Physics
Personal Code: kbx578

Words count: 3,923

Pages count: 26

1
Index
1. Cover 1

2. Index 2

3. Introduction 3

4. Development 5

5. Experiment Nº1: The Fishbowl Experiment 12

6. Experiment Nº2: The double-slit Experiment 17

7. Experiment Nº3: Lasers Intersection Experiment 22

8. Conclusion 25

9. Bibliography 26

2
Introduction
In the following extended essay, I am going to explore the concept of the undulatory

phenomenon of light and its experimental proof of it. The reason why I choose this subject is

that searching on the Internet I saw lots of different videos from different scientific

popularizers such as “Kurzgesagt in a nutshell” or “Javier Santaolalla” that make amazing

videos about the subject. In addition to this, in school through the IB programme in physics

we started studying the waves chapter of the study program and I found it interesting to find

an intersection point between what I see in videos and what I learn in school from waves.

While investigating the history behind this concept of duality I saw all the experiments that

were necessary to prove both the particle theory and the wave theory, so it came to my

mind the possibility of proving by myself that light has one or another nature, as seen in the

title I ended up choosing to prove the undulatory phenomenon of light. So, the question for

this extended essay will be “To what extent can the light's undulatory phenomena be

proven by using the equipment of a school's laboratory?”.

Throughout this extended essay, the reader will explore three different experiments with

different perspectives that will try to prove if the light has a wave nature. These experiments

will be compared to the waves theory as the results seen in the experiment must be based

on the waves theory in order for the light to be considered a wave. The reader through the

essay will be able to see an experimental proof for all the wave theories as well as the fact

that the light has an undulatory attitude, also they will see the materials and setup

necessary to replicate all the experiments as these are really basic ones.

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The following essay will be structured by presenting all the required theories about waves

with an explanation and an image to show the concept. After this, every experiment will be

divided into three parts: the first part will show the objective of the experiment, what it is

trying to prove and through which theoretical concepts; The second part will be the list of

necessary materials and the setup needed; The third part will be the variables present and

what those variables seek to prove; finally the procedure of the experiment and the results

seen during the experiment.

Before starting, it is essential to clarify that the concept of the wave and all the

theoretical ideas and equations are no more than a way to model and represent what is

really going on in real life.

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Development

Objective

It is well known that the lights indeed have an undulatory behavior, but as mentioned

before, the objective of this extended essay is not to prove if light has an undulatory

nature or not as it has already been proven, but to see if it can be proven with the

materials provided by my school's laboratory. To reach this objective I'm going to

analyse light's actions throughout three different experiments. Each experiment will be

related to the theories about waves explained before, therefore the way to prove that the

light has an undulatory attitude is to show that what it is seen is the same as what the

theory says.

Theory

As my objective for this extended essay is to prove if light has an undulatory behaviour,

what is needed now is to define which are these properties and phenomena that

characterise and differentiate waves from particles, as these characteristics are going to

determine the results of the experiments.

To begin with, the most important thing to define is the concept of wave1 as it is

indispensable for the work because the characteristics of a wave are useless if it is not

defined by the concept of wave. The definition I'm going to use is “A disturbance

1
Even though light is an electromagnetic wave, in this work I'm going to refer to it just as a wave because the
level required not only to understand but also to develop and explain the concept is quite complicated far from
what the IB programm covers

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travelling through a medium by which energy -not matter- is transferred from one

particle of the medium to another without causing any permanent displacement of the

medium itself.”

Taking into account this definition of waves, the following step is to understand the six

characteristics that are fundamental to describe a wave, they are basic in order to

determine if something is or not a wave. These characteristics are: Wavelength, Period

of oscillation, Amplitude, Frequency and Speed of propagation.

Period of oscillation (T): The period of oscillation can be defined as the time it takes

for a wave to complete one oscillation. In this time the wave goes from equilibrium point

to a crest, then to a trough and back to the equilibrium point.

Frequency (f): It can be defined as the quantity of oscillations the wave does in a unit of

time, in the case of the light it is in Herz (Hz).

The relation between these two concepts can be described mathematically with the

equation below:

f=1/T (1)

𝑇 = 1/𝑓 (2)

Through this equation is that the frequency and the period of oscillation are related to

each other.

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Wavelength (𝛌): It is the distance between two equal points of the wave in a unit of

distance, in this case as we are working with lights will be in nanometres (nm).

Amplitude (A): It is the maximum distance of the wave from the equilibrium point, it

can be in a crest or a trough. As it is a measure of distance it is measured in centimetres

(cm). In light, the amplitude is proportional to its intensity.

Speed of propagation (c): It is the velocity of propagation the wave has and it is

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measured in metres per second. In the case of the light it is approximately 3. 10 metres

−1
per second (𝑚. 𝑠 ).

These three concepts can be related through the mathematical expression:

C=f.𝛌 (3)

C=𝛌/T (4)

Image 0.1 “Wave composition”

Wave front: It is the imaginary surface that is constructed by all the points that are at

the same phase, the form of the front depends on the medium it is travelling at. It can be

rather a plane front or a spherical front.

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Image 0.2 “Types of wavefronts”

Wave Types: Waves can be divided by two different variables, the medium they

propagate and the way they vibrate in the medium. The first group can be divided into

two, the first ones are mechanical waves that can only propagate through a medium, And

the second ones are electromagnetic waves that can propagate through vacuum and

through a medium. The second division is defined by the way they disturb the medium;

The first type is longitudinal waves, this one can be defined by their parallel move

respect to the velocity vector; The second type is transverse waves, these ones are

defined by their perpendicular move respect to the velocity vector.

Image 0.3 “Types of wave movements”

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Knowing which are the properties that define the waves, now in order to prove that light

is indeed a wave it is needed to see that it follows the phenomena that waves suffer

from. So now I'm going to show which are the four different phenomena that waves go

through. These phenomenons are: Refraction, Reflection, Interference and Diffraction.

Refraction: It is the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another

caused by its change in speed. This can be expressed by Snell's law of refraction which

expresses the index of refraction or how much the wave is going to change when it

changes its medium. This law is mathematically expressed through the equations:

𝑁𝑖. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ) = 𝑁𝑟. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(α) (5)

𝐶
𝑁= 𝑉
(6)

𝐶 𝐶
𝑉1
. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ) = 𝑉2
. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(α) (7)

Where N is the refraction index and it is divided into Ni that represents the incident

index and Nr from the refracted index; And in the second equation where C is the speed

of light in vacuum and V the velocity of light in the medium.

Image 0.4 “Wave refraction”

Reflection: It is the abrupt change in the direction of propagation of a wave that strikes

the boundary between different mediums. The angle of incidence is the same as the

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reflected one.

Image 0.5 “Wave reflection”

Interference: It is the net effect of the combination of two or more wave trains

intersecting or coincident paths. The result of this interference can be constructive or

destructive depending on the direction of propagation and the amplitude of the wave.

The interaction is made by the sum of the two in a positive or negative result. If the sum

has a positive or a negative result, it is constructive; but, if the result ends in zero it is

destructive.

Image 0.6 “Types of superposition”

Diffraction2: It is the spreading of waves around obstacles. One consequence of

diffraction is that sharp shadows are not produced. Also the phenomenon is the result of

2
https://www.britannica.com/science/diffraction

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interference.

Image 0.7 “Wave diffraction”

Variables

As in any experiment, there are different variables present that may change the results

of the experiment, this can be divided into controlled which are the ones that will be

constant through all the experiment; The independent ones which will vary through the

experiment; and the dependent variables that are the ones that will vary depending the

dependent ones.

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Experiment 1

Objectives

The objective of this experiment is to prove the reflection and refraction phenomenon of

light as both are crucial actions that determine whether something behaves or not as a

wave. For this, the first experiment will analyze the behavior of light as it travels through

two different mediums, the first one is the air and the second one is water.

Equipment and setup

Equipment:

● Fishbowl filled with water

Image 1.1 “Fishbowl”

● Blue and red lasers

Image 1.2 “Both lasers, red and blue”

● Hartl disc

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Image 1.3 “Hartl disc”

● Incense

● Starch

● Wood plank

Image 1.4 “Wood plank”

The setup of the experiment consists of filling the fishbowl half with water with starch

in it and the other half with the smoke of the incense, and at the back of the fishbowl a

degree measuring disc. The purpose of the starch and some is to see the laser's path as it

is much more visible with this. The objective of this experiment is, as mentioned before,

to see if the light behaves or not as a wave and through this experiment is to see if the

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light has two properties of the waves that are refraction and reflection.

Variables

1. Controlled variables

● Medium of incidence, air.

● Medium of refraction, clean water, and water with starch.

● Room, dark and at room temperature in order to see light and not create

the possibility of energizing light with heat.

2. Independent variables

● The angle of incidence, as it is a variable in Snell's law.

● Laser colors, to look if the wavelength changes the angle of refraction

3. Dependent variables:

● Refraction Angles, as it Snell's law says that it changes with the medium

and the angle of incidence

● Reflexion, depending on the angle of incidence there is the possibility that

light is partly reflected and partly refracted.

Procedure and Results

The procedure for this experiment will be divided into two, the first one as mentioned in

the setup will be in a fishbowl without smoke and with clean water, and the second part

of the experiment will be with smoke and with starch in the water. In each experiment

the procedure is the same, take a color of the laser between blue and red and follow the

Hartl disc varying the angle of incidence to see what happens with the angle of

refraction and reflection.

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The results of the experiment can be seen in both images 1.5 and 1.6, which can be seen

the two sets of variables, where the refraction and reflection phenomena, as well as

Snell's law, can be seen. With the first set of variables, with clean water and without

smoke, it was proved that indeed the light not only follows refraction but also it follows

Snell's law. As seen in image 1.5 the angle of incidence is approximately 80º from the

normal, but the refraction angle varies reaching approximately 40º, this can be proven

by Snell's law by replacing the values in the equation:

1. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(80) = 1. 333 . 𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ)

𝑠𝑖𝑛(80)
𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛⎡ ⎤= θ
⎣ 1.333 ⎦

θ ≈ 47. 6

As it can be seen in image 1.5 the result of the equation is similar to the result of the

experiment.

The second set of variables, with smoke and dirty water seen in image 1.6, helped to

reaffirm the results obtained in the first set of variables as the angle of diffraction is

different from the incidence one, proving this way that the light indeed follows the

refraction phenomena. In the case of this second set of variables Snell's law cannot be

applied as the values for the refraction index from the smoke and dirty water are not

calculated. Another thing present in this second part of the experiment is the

appearance of the reflection phenomena as the light partly enters the water and part is

reflected outside the water. In this case, the angles cannot be calculated but from the

theory and from what can be seen in image 1.6 the angles are exactly the same.

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In conclusion, this experiment reached its objective as it helped to prove that light

indeed has a wave nature as it reacts in the same ways through refraction and reflection.

Image 1.5 “lights refraction”

Image 1.6 “Lights refraction and reflection”

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Experiment 2

Objectives

This experiment aims to prove the diffraction occurrence of light as it is an extremely

unique attitude from waves. For this, the experiment will be based on creating the

perfect circumstance to make light diffract by making it go through a very small slit.

Also, another objective of this experiment is to prove, taking into account that light is a

wave if it has different wavelengths by changing the color.

Equipment and Setup

Equipment:

● Double-slit

Image 2.1 “Double-slit with grip”

● Two Different colour lasers, blue and red. (See image 1.2)

● Optical Bench

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Image 2.2 “Optic bench”

● A metre

● Wood Plank (See image 1.4)

The setup for this experiment requires an optical bench with a laser attached to it on

one side and on the other side of the bench a double-slit. At the end of the optical bench,

there will be a wood plank in order to see what happens to light after going through the

slit. In the same table, it is marked every 10cm using the double slit as the origin of the

reference system.

Variables

1. Controlled variables:

● Laser position

● Room, dark and at room temperature in order to see light and not create

the possibility of energizing light with heat.

2. Independent variables:

● Laser color

● Distance between the slit and the wood plank

3. Dependent variables:

● Quantity of diffraction. As diffraction is a phenomenon of superposition,

the larger the distance between the slit and the wood plank the more

superposition there is going to be.

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● Distance between the light points in the wood plank. The theory says that

different light colors have different wavelengths, so in the experiment,

changing the color should change the distance between light points.

Procedure and Results

The procedure for this experiment will be making the light beam go through the slit till

it reaches the wood plank, after the first result the wood plank will go to the next mark

10cm farther from the slit. After completing all the marks on the table the experiment is

repeated but with another light color.

If taking into account the light as a particle the result of this experiment should not be

that surprising as it should form two different light points on the wood plank, but the

result is far from this. As can be seen in images 2.4 and 2.5 rather than creating two light

points there are 9 different intensity light points. The result of this experiment cannot

be explained by thinking of light as a particle, but thinking of it as a wave can explain it

through the concepts of diffraction and superposition. After going through the slit the

light divides into two new wavefronts, these ones superpose each other by in some

areas creating a destructive superposition and in others a constructive one, this can be

seen in image 2.4 as the zones without light are points in which waves destructed each

other, and in the light zones, there is a constructive superposition. Also, something to

notice from this experiment is that there are brighter zones than others and this is

because the centre point of light in the wood plank is the same as the one of the slit,

therefore when the waves superpose each other they will be in phase and there will be a

constructive interference; and as you move away from this centre point the distance

from each slit to this point will be different and the waves will not reach in phase to it

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and there will form dimmer areas. Another thing to notice from this experiment is that

“the farther” the distance from the origin the better the diffraction phenomena can be

seen, and this is because if the wood plank is really close to the slit it leaves no space for

the superposition of waves to occur, so there is no destructive interference and there

will be no darker zones creating the patron from image 2.4.

The second part of the experiment changed the laser variable in order to prove if light

has or not a change in wavelength. Changing the laser from red to blue hasn't changed

much from the initial experiment as the distance change from one light area to the other

is insignificant using a common metre.

In conclusion, this experiment was useful in order to prove that light acts due to the

diffraction and superposition laws. But on the other hand, it has not reached its second

objective to prove the existence of wavelengths as the equipment required for this is

really precise and it is not available in a school's laboratory.

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Image 2.4 “diffraction of light from 30cm from the origin”

Image 2.5 “diffraction of light from 20cm from the origin”

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Experiment 3

Objective

The objective of this experiment is to, in a certain way, recreate the Michelson Morley

experiment in which two equal light beams intersect each other at a specific point in

time and space and cancel each other out. Not proven yet in this extended essay, but

imagining that light is a wave means that it has peaks and valleys, and that follows the

superposition theorems, so if two light beams cross each other at a specific point in

space they should cancel each other. So, the objective of this experiment is to cross two

light beams and try to cancel out each other to prove that they are waves.

Equipment and setup

Equipment:

● One Universal Slippers

Image 3.1 “Universal slipper”

● Optical Bench (See image 2.2)

● Two lasers Red lasers (See image 1.2)

● Incense

● Two Wood planks (See image 1.4)

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The set-up for this experiment requires the two light beams to cross each other at a

specific point. So, taking into account this, the set-up will be one laser attached through

a grip to the optical bench and the other, at the same height, attached to a universal

slipper perpendicular to the first laser. After this, throughout the experiment, there is

going to be an incense below the intersection point to look at both lasers intersecting

thanks to the smoke. After this, on the same table, there will be a wood plank at the end

of each light beam.

Variables

1. Controlled variables:

● First laser position.

● Room, dark and at room temperature in order to see light and not create

the possibility of energizing light with heat.

2. Independent variables:

● Second laser position, as it will vary its position in order to create a

destructive superposition.

● Laser colors, as they have different wavelengths and frequencies.

3. Dependent variables:

● The superposition of lasers, as it depends on the position of the second

laser and if it is in a specific position it may superpose with the other

laser.

Procedure and Results

The procedure for this experiment will be making the lights superpose each other at a

specific point in space, for this one laser will be immovable and the other will be varying

in a straight position perpendicular to the first one.

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Taking into account the idea that light is indeed a wave, then it should follow the

superposition theorems and it can be destructed if two equal opposite waves intersect

each other at a specific point, one in its trough and the other in a crest. So, in order to

prove this concept, it is necessary to intersect two beams at a specific point and in

specific parts of the wave. For this, one laser was immobile and the other one was

shortly moved by centimetres. This can be seen in image 3.2, where incense is used in

order to see the path both lasers take and the point they both intersect each other. The

difficulty that affronted this experiment is that the wavelength of light is nanometric, a

movement so slight that it is impossible to do with a human hand.

In conclusion, this experiment failed its objective to prove that light has a wavelength

and therefore it is a wave. The reason for this failure is, as explained before, light has a

nanometric wavelength that is impossible to reach by moving the laser with the hand.

To reach this type of movement it is necessary to have very specific and professional

equipment that can reach these very small movements. So, this experiment is not useful

to prove that the light is a wave as it needs very complex and expensive equipment that

is not affordable for a school laboratory.

Image 3.2 “Superposition of two beams”

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Conclusion
Taking into account all the experiments and results seen in the different experiments it

can be concluded that on the one hand the light phenomenons can be proved by using

the school's equipment as the results of the experiment can be seen simply with human

eyes; but, on the other hand, the wave characteristics cannot be proved as the

equipment necessary to this is really specific and expensive.

This can be seen in experiments Nº1 and Nº2 where the results of the experiments are

really useful to prove that light follows a waves nature as it can refract, superpose,

diffract and reflect, this is useful to say that light has a similar attitude compared to a

wave but it is no enough to make a statement. The results on experiment Nº3 as the

others were useful to prove that it is not possible with the school`s materials to

recognise or see different wave characteristics in light as these are insignificant to the

human eye and can only be tested with very specific and specialized equipment that is

not affordable for a schools laboratory.

In conclusion, it cannot be proved with school laboratory materials that the light has an

undulatory behavior as there is no such way to prove that it has a wave characteristic

(Amplitude, Period, Frequency, Wavelength, Wavefront), but what can be proved is that

it behaves as a wave as it follows the same phenomena (Diffraction, Reflection,

Refraction, Interference).

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