Student instruction to run sound lab simulation software.

1. Be sure you are have installed the interference_lab simulation software (follow instructions in
Lab_Simulation_Software_Installation_on_student_computers.pdf).
2. Receive the lab parameters file: interference_sect_S_NAME_data.bin by email as attachment
where S is your Lab section number and NAME is your name. The file contains parameters for
your INTERFERENCE LAB exercises (you cannot read it, since you should find out some of the
parameter values from lab measurements).
3. Download interference_sect_S_NAME_data.bin attachment to the Desktop.
4. Read Interference Lab software description.
5. Run software in NOLAB mode to become familiar with intensity min/max measurements and
measurement of distance between screen and slit plane. Keep in mind that slits are oriented
horizontally in this simulation that led to vertical axis for interference minima and maxima.
6. Run software in Wavelenth1 mode press START and fill worksheet table by slit size and slit space
are given on the front panel.
7. Follow the worksheet procedure 1-4 and measure:
a. distance between the central bright spot to the 5th dark spot at top and bottom.
b. distance to screen and put in worksheet top table.
8. Run software in Wavelenth2 mode press START. No need to fill worksheet table by slit size and
slit space are given on the front panel since are the same.
9. Follow the worksheet procedure 5-8 and measure:
a. distance between the central bright spot to the 5th dark spot spot at top and bottom
b. distance to screen and check if it the same as for Wavelength1.
10. Compose Conclusion.

Interference Lab software description.

This is software simulation of the PHYS1510 Interference of light experiment. It shows a propagation of
the electro-magnetic plane wave front through two slits (left plot of the simulation in the circle). Two
slits become the sources of cylindrical waves (in case of infinite ideal slots length) which sum into
interference pattern with maxima and minima. These maxima and minima are grouped in the form of
radial beams (radial planes perpendicular to slit width) coming from a mid-point between slits. The
beams can be observed on a screen placed perpendicular to the line of the propagation at large distance
(see the space crack of the ruler) from the slit plane as stripes of light intensity (fringes). The
interference at slit position is shown in circle to emphasize the ~10,000 magnification of the light
wavelength ~400-700 nm. Even one of 100-th of the plane wave fronts can be shown at such scale. The
second plot of interference at large distance (close the used one in the demo experiment) is shown on
the right in scale of mm, where the interference pattern looks like beams of light. The screen to observe
beams are placed at the right edge of the plot. To observe and measure the fringes it is turned by 90 deg

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on next plot (from the position perpendicular to the plane of computer monitor). The most right plot
with white background shows XY-plot of the intensity.

The program starts in NOLAB mode by default. Read Help and press the CONTINUE button. You can set:
slit size, slit space, wavelength and distance to screen in this mode.

Figure 1. Interference lab simulation software at help state. Optionally mark “do not show help again” to
skip this state for next runs. Press Continue to proceed to start state.

Figure 2. Interference lab simulation software at start state.

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Then press START and observe the interference pattern forming. When the “Measure MAX/MIN spaces”
orange button appears you can measure the position of the maximum and minimum at the screen by
moving thin horizontal yellow arrow up/and down by mouse.

Figure 3. Interference lab simulation software at building interference pattern state.Do not get
impression that program is hang up between graphing left plot and right ones. It takes 1-2 min for
calculations.

Figure 4. Interference lab simulation software at state of minimum position measurements.

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Press the orange button and move the green bar by the “Move Bar” slider over the ruler to measure the
distance between slit plane and the screen.

Figure 5. Interference lab simulation software after pressing MIN/MAX spaces button and ready for
distance between slit plate and screen measurements by green bar moved by Move_Bar slider.

Press the orange button to quit the program. This is the end of your practice in NO LAB mode.

Now you should run the software to obtain the experimental data for your report in mode Wavelength1
and Wavelength2 like we did in online DEMO experiments for red and green lasers. Keep in mind that
your pair of lasers used in simulation can be any color.

Before running your lab experiments, be sure that the lab parameters file (
Interference_sect_1_yourName_data.bin sent you by email) is on the Desktop of the computer!

To run your lab experiment restart the program by pressing a white arrow on the menu at the top-left
corner. Change the mode by Lab Exercise menu button to “Wavelength1”. Now slit size, slit space,
wavelength and distance to screen are set from the file and fixed. Press START. Write down the slit size
and slit space, measure the MIN/MAX position and the screen distance using the provided scales at the
plots for your report. Repeat the same for the “Wavelength2”. Calculate the two wavelengths and you
are ready to write the lab report.

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There is version of the Interference lab simulation software for low resolution monitors.

Below is the set of pictures for this version.

Figure 1a. Interference lab simulation software at help state. Optionally mark “do not show help again”
to skip this state for next runs. Press Continue to proceed to start state.

Figure 2a. Interference lab simulation software at start state.

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Figure 3a. Interference lab simulation software at building interference pattern state.Do not get
impression that program is hang up between graphing left plot and right ones. It takes 1-2 min for
calculations.

Figure 4a. Interference lab simulation software at state of minimum position measurements.

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Figure 5a. Interference lab simulation software after pressing MIN/MAX spaces button and ready for
distance between slit plate and screen measurements by green bar moved by Move_Bar slider.