Can you tell me an experiment or two which can prove that light travels in a straight line? An experiment that

Question

can be carried out easily using the appratuses in my school lab.

Answer 1

You don't need any special equipment for this experiment
get hold of a known straight edge such as a ruler, and a flat surface such as a book, and maybe a couple of pencils or pins.
now find a shadow, the sun would be great for this experiment, or a point light source such as a bulb, or laser,
Point the flat surface so that one side is almost in shadow, place your pin in the flat surface closest to the light source, the pin should form a long shadow if done correct, now mark along the shadow a number of dots,
You should end up with a straight line of dots that you can check with your straight edge. the shadow will prove light travels in a straight line because it is blocking the path of the light beam and this can be seen as a straight line.

Answer 2

sure thing
you need a laser light, a beaker with a lid that fits exactly, salt, water, an incense
What you gotta do is take some water in the beaker and add equal amounts of salt in it. Then pass the laser light through it and you will observe that the ray doesn't get diverted. Light the incense stick and allow the smoke to enter the beaker by partially closing the lid and once enough smoke gets in, close the lid trapping the smoke.
Pass the laser light through it and it still doesn't divert.
Well, the rest is upto you...it depends on your presentation and how you explain it
Have more doubts....do NOT ask me!
heheheh

Answer 3

Use Suryadev's idea, but you could also stretch a string taught through all three holes, showing clearly that they are in a straight line. Then turn on the flashlight or lamp to see that light passes through all three holes.

I'd probably try this with 1" diameter holes spaced 3 to 5 feet apart. Experiment on your own first to see if you need to modify anything (hole size or distance between holes).

Good luck.

Answer 4

You can modulate light for communication. In fact it was experimented with before the radio ... the radio won out because light travels in a straight line and couldn't go around corners.

Go here for plans to make a light communicator for under $10
http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/light/light.html#laser_communicator

Answer 5

Perhaps... Take a clear glass pyramid-shaped object, and shine a small flashlike into it, if you look closely enough, a rainbow will come out. The light is going into a straight line, but when it hits the glass, it shatters, and light is made up of all colors we can think of except BLACK and GRAY. A rainbow should shoot out, and if not, it might shoot out in different colors. Its been since 3rd grade since I have done it, so I'm not quite sure if thats the right way.

EDIT: Oh, and you can also use mirrors, and angle them so they will reflect off eachother, and each one of them should light up if you angles everything right.

Answer 6

keep 3 papers and make hole in the same place of the flash light through a tourch or a burner now move the middle one and the light is not seen so there4 light travel is a straight line

Answer 7

Light does not ALWAYS travel in a straight line. Sometimes it is refracted, diffused, or affected by the gravity of a planet, other large body, or anomally.

Answer 8

How about using mirrors and a small laser pointer. Bouncing the beam against several mirrors placed in precisely measured locations .

Answer 9

point a flashlight straight up in the sky at night. you will see the light doesnt go in loops, but a straight line. unless you get those flashlights that do make loops.

Answer 10

flash a light thru paper