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Sunset, optics, & serendipity



I'm using the old PSSC refraction dishes to have my students find the
index of refraction of water and corn syrup. For extra credit they
have to find "n" for jello. I use Knox clear gelatine. Seems as if I
did not dissolve the gelatine well enough so I had small particles
evenly distributed throughout the jello.

When the students began to take measurements they noticed two things.
(1) the beam of light was very visable in the jello and it was blue
and (2) the beam of light coming out of the refraction dish was of
course a nice orange. I had already done the scattering demo w/sodium
thiosulphate and concentrated H2SO4. This was great reinforcement and
it didn't stink up the lab and burn holes in my clothes.



Ray Rogoway
Independence High School
San Jose, CA.