Describes an experiment for the intermediate undergraduate optics laboratory designed to illustrate simultaneously some aspects of the phenomena of diffraction; interference, coherence, apodization, the Fresnel-Arago law; as well as of the interrelations between these concepts. (HM)

Describes how to construct a device that will show interference fringes formed by multiple reflections in an air gap between two partially silvered glass surfaces. (MLH)

Discusses a photograph of an unusual combination of lunar halos: the 22-degree refraction halo, the circumscribed halo, and a reflection halo. Deduces the form and orientations of the ice crystals responsible for the observed halo features. (MLH)

Describes a technique that uses a helium neon laser, a steel rule, a wooden rule, and a piece of paper to measure the diameter of a hair using the diffraction of light. Details on technique, mathematics, and sources of error are provided. (DDR)

Describes a simple experiment that uses a CCD video camera, a display monitor, and a laser-printed bar pattern to illustrate signal sampling problems that produce aliasing or moiri fringes in images. Uses the Fourier transform to provide an appropriate and elegant means to explain the sampling theorem and the aliasing phenomenon in CCD-based…

Introduces a case study on a motion picture company considering the purchase of a newly developed zoom lens in which students act as the engineers designing the zoom lens based on the criteria of company's specifications. Focuses on geometrical optics. Includes teaching notes and classroom management strategies. (YDS)

Two students (ages 7 and 8) who were totally blind with profound motor impairments and mental retardation were provided with optic microswitches. The use of optic microswitches for simple hand responses, combined with the availability of pleasant stimuli for the responses, proved successful with both students. (Contains 9 references.) (CR)

Identified are errors in diagrams from the textbook "Physics" (Little, Brown, and Co., Boston, 1987). Presents and discusses the errors in eight textbook diagrams. The errors include mechanics, optics, and electricity. (YP)

The Moire pattern is the shimmering pattern which looks like an odd interference pattern in window screens or folds of nylon shower curtain. Illustrates some of the ways the effect may be used, including demonstration of wave interference, detection of small displacement, persistence of vision, contour measurement, beats, and optical clearness.…

Described is a mechanically driven device for generating three-dimensional harmonic space figures with different frequencies and phase angles on the X, Y, and Z axes. Discussed are apparatus, viewing stereo pairs, equations of motion, and using space figures in classroom. (YP)

Describes ways to use nomographs, including solving equations for equivalent resistance of a parallel circuit, focal length of a thin lens, parallel combinations of standard resistance, average speed, refraction problem, and height of a vertically projected object. (YP)

Describes an experiment for determining the refractive index. Discusses the experiment procedure and mathematical expression for calculating the index. Provides two geometrical diagrams and a graph for determining the index with a typical data. (YP)

Discusses image reflection in a plane mirror. Illustrates several cases of the reflection and points out the possibility of confusing students by using the term "lateral inversion." (YP)

Reports on the implementation of a relatively low-cost, versatile, and intuitive system to teach basic mechanics based on the use of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera and inexpensive image-processing and analysis software. Discusses strengths and limitations of CCD imaging technologies. (JRH)

Describes the effects when a clear toothbrush is used as total internally reflecting light pipe when attached to a laser. Several explanations are given describing the nonuniformity of the transmitted light resulting from surface and internal irregularities found in the toothbrush. (MVL)