[help] EE in physics

[Jorge Chavez]

I am having some trouble defining the question for my EE, I am interested on destructive interference of light. My interest came from observing this effect on the shadows of objects in sunshine early in the mornings. Currently I am designing an experiment that uses a colored light bulb (helps keep the intensity of the light equal on all points of the light bulb) and varying distances between two objects and the light bulp (particularly on the "y" axis ) to try and simulate the phenomenon of the shadows in the morning sunlight.

I am trying to define a question in order to give direction to my experiment design and investigation. I have noticed that the destructive interference is greater in the morning and late on the afternoon, but I am not sure why. The question that I currently am using to guide my investigation is "Why is the destructive interference of light on shadows caused by objects in the way of the sun's light more distinguished the closer the sun is to setting? (an aproach using a controlled experiment)" Is this question good enough? Also, does the experiment seem do-able?

[Nabz]

I am having some trouble defining the question for my EE, I am interested on destructive interference of light. My interest came from observing this effect on the shadows of objects in sunshine early in the mornings. Currently I am designing an experiment that uses a colored light bulb (helps keep the intensity of the light equal on all points of the light bulb) and varying distances between two objects and the light bulp (particularly on the "y" axis ) to try and simulate the phenomenon of the shadows in the morning sunlight.

I am trying to define a question in order to give direction to my experiment design and investigation. I have noticed that the destructive interference is greater in the morning and late on the afternoon, but I am not sure why. The question that I currently am using to guide my investigation is "Why is the destructive interference of light on shadows caused by objects in the way of the sun's light more distinguished the closer the sun is to setting? (an aproach using a controlled experiment)" Is this question good enough? Also, does the experiment seem do-able?

Yes i think the investigation seems fine. You are actually working on double slit experiment. The fact that there is a dark spot in one place and there's a bright spot in another. So your investigation would be the double slit experiment.

You can rephrase your question to something like "investigating the destructive interference caused by the shadows formed by an object under sunlight."

You have to be precise, so what you can do is switch "an object" by the name of the object. Also, don't try to explain your investigation within your research statement/question.

[abdxyz]

I am having some trouble defining the question for my EE, I am interested on destructive interference of light. My interest came from observing this effect on the shadows of objects in sunshine early in the mornings. Currently I am designing an experiment that uses a colored light bulb (helps keep the intensity of the light equal on all points of the light bulb) and varying distances between two objects and the light bulp (particularly on the "y" axis ) to try and simulate the phenomenon of the shadows in the morning sunlight.

I am trying to define a question in order to give direction to my experiment design and investigation. I have noticed that the destructive interference is greater in the morning and late on the afternoon, but I am not sure why. The question that I currently am using to guide my investigation is "Why is the destructive interference of light on shadows caused by objects in the way of the sun's light more distinguished the closer the sun is to setting? (an aproach using a controlled experiment)" Is this question good enough? Also, does the experiment seem do-able?

When you are designing the lab using a colored light bulb though it is a coherent monochromatic (same wavelength) source of light, it is contrary to that of sunlight as sunlight is continous spectrum.....................

[Jorge Chavez]

Thanks for pointing that out, Do you have any suggestion ? (I could use the laser lab at an university near here but that would really limit the time I have to experiment, they do have a "white light" beam)

Maybe I could use a red colored light bulp as early in the morning this is the main color of the light that reaches the earth.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Jorge Chavez