Question

Find a household item that will cause incoming parallel rays to converge or diverge (a magnifying lens, an eyeglass lens, a clear cylindrical container filled with water, a metal spoon or curved mirror.

*NOTE, I have chosen the item to be the concave side of a makeup mirror (that zooms into objects). How can I design the experiment? How do I actually find the focal length(Part A)? What are possible uncertainties/sources of error (Part C)?

a. Design an experiment that will allow you to measure the focal length of your object. Take a picture of your object and the experimental set-up. Explain what measurements you will take and how they will let you measure the focal length.

b. Carry out the experiment, record your measurement of the focal length of your object and assess the reasonableness of its magnitude.

c. What are the largest sources of uncertainty in your measurement? How could your assumptions have affected your result? How could your setup be modified or your equipment improved?

Answer 1