NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1366151
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Nov
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4928
Low-Cost Methods for Improving Data Collection Speed in Microwave Bragg Diffraction
Ekkens, Tom
Physics Teacher, v60 n8 p686-689 Nov 2022
In many introductory physics classes, diffraction of light is introduced first, then more advanced diffraction topics such as x-ray diffraction, Bragg's law, and crystallography are covered. Since using x-rays raises safety concerns and atomic spacing in a crystal is not easy to change, microwaves with macroscopic crystals have been used to study Bragg's law in the undergraduate laboratory. A number of scientific supply companies, including PASCO and 3B Scientific, sell 10-GHz microwave optics systems. However, using these systems within the parameters of the manufacturer's procedure for a Bragg diffraction lab poses some challenges. First, the receiver and transmitter must be manually positioned, making the data collection process slow. Second, the microwaves should be plane waves and the receiver should be located beyond the far-field limit. These 10-GHz microwave optics systems are low power, making them safe for lab use, but this limits the crystal size and working distance between the transmitter and receiver to under 1000 mm. The experimental setup suggested by the manufacturer separates the transmitter and receiver by about 10 wavelengths from the center of rotation. While the bells on the transmitter and receiver help with producing plane waves, it is expected that ideal conditions for Bragg's law are not completely fulfilled. Indeed, the experiment guide warns of errors up to 15% and unexplained peaks in the data.
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://aapt.scitation.org/journal/pte
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A