Principle

A measurement cuvette set in the beam path of a Michelson
interferometer can be evacuated or filled with
CO2. The refraction indexes of air or
CO2 are determined through the assessed
modification of the interference pattern.

Benefits


see that even two transparent gases can have different optical
properties

a Michelson interferometer is used to measure subtle
differences in the refractive indices

thoughtful engineered components allow effective
experimenting


Tasks


1.  Determine the refraction index of air,

2. Determine the refraction index of

CO2.


What you can learn about


Interference

Wavelength

Phase

Refraction index

Light velocity

Virtual light source