Spectrometry

Goal: to observe the spectra of different sources of light

Equipment:

• See list at instructions below for household items required.

Procedure

1. Follow the instructions at the Science Works site for the making your own spectroscope.
2. You will need to obtain diffraction gratings, either from one of the suppliers listed at the above link, or from an educational toy story. You can use colored cellophane for the red and blue filters.
3. After you make the spectroscope, see how many sources of light you can find and identify as different. Household incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, and street lights (both sulfur and mercury) are a good start. Use the wavelength scale to estimate the position of the emission spectrum lines.

Report

In your lab report, be sure to explain how you could use these lines to identify the type of material from which they come.

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