spectroscopy

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Craig_Bridge
Former Expert
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am

Re: spectroscopy

Post by Craig_Bridge »

The third spectroscope they sugggested is just positioning a CD to where the spectrum is visible on it. Could i just draw the scale onto the CD?
Personally I don't consider that a spectroscope because there is really no way to calibrate it. A drop of water, a prism, a piece of crystal, or anything that has fine equally spaced lines (e.g. a gradient) is capable of separating light into its component wavelengths. Without some means of controlling the incident angle such as a slit that is somehow held at a constant angle with respect whatever is acting like a prism or gradient, you can't control where the spectrum will appear (if at all).

You maybe able to take that idea and make it into a spectroscope by attaching the CD to something that can be used to hold it at a constant angle that also can act as a slit so that the spectrum is always displayed in the same place on the CD surface in which case you can draw the scale onto the CD.
-Craig
jordanc740
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:02 am

Re: spectroscopy

Post by jordanc740 »

Do you have an ideas for what to use to hold the CD in place?
Jordan C.
Craig_Bridge
Former Expert
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am

Re: spectroscopy

Post by Craig_Bridge »

Maybe a small box with a slit in the end for light to enter, a diagonal cut on two sides to hold the CD at an appropriate angle to the slit (essentially match the angle you get to work just holding the CD and light source).
-Craig
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