Writing Resources
In the first part of this experiment the Michelson interferometer was used for the purpose of causing interference by splitting incoming rays of light into 2 distinct components Each beam propagates along a different path reflects and reconvene upon a screen where they produce interference patterns based on the difference in distance each ray takes Using the Michelson interferometer students were able to observe the interference of two light sources a red gas laser and a green diode laser By studying the physical properties of light which describe the interference patterns quantitatively the wavelength for each laser was determined by dispersion of the fringe lines empirically First the laser interference spectrum was used to calibrate the interferometer Background Image Image http www industrial electronics com laser_9 html In 1803 Thomas Young became a pioneer in designing methods for producing interference patterns some years following his famous Double Slit experiment His initial trials involved exposing a narrow beam of light to two narrow closely spaced slits whereby an observing screen opposed the slits
