PASCO OS-8453 User Manual

®

Instruction Sheet

High Precision Diffraction Slits

OS-8453

Set-up

1. Snap one of the wheels onto an optics bench with a laser and
screen as illustrated.

012-10350A

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Included Parts

1. Single-slit wheel with holder

2. Double-slit wheel with holder

Additional Parts Required

• Basic Optics Diode Laser,
OS-8525A (Red) or OS-8458 (Green)

• Basic Optics Bench, part of OS-8515C system

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Introduction

Model OS-8453 includes two slit wheels with holders designed
for use on a Basic Optics bench with a laser and other Basic
Optics components. Each wheel contains several slits and other
patterns. The wheels can be rotated to change the slit pattern illu­minated by the laser.

diffraction slit

laser

wheel

screen

bench

2. Aim the laser at the slit
pattern in the “9 o’clock”
position.

3. Turn the wheel to select
the slit pattern to be illu­minated by the laser.

selected

slit

L

G

N

I

S

a

m

S

A

m

I

R

E

4

.

A

R

0

L

U

T

U

m

R

C

E

R

I

P

C

A

T

w

t

i

l

s

:

=

a

S

T

I

L

S

E

8

0

.

0

4

0

.

0

2

0

.

0

:

=

HIGH PRECISION

D

DIFFRACTION SLITS

A

I

m

D

2

SINGLE

.

0

E

N

I

8

L

0

.

0

=

a

I

L

S

/

E

N

I

L

n

i

h

t

d

i

0

SLITS

S

m

m

.

1

6

V

A

R

I

A

a

=

0

.

0

2

t

o

®

0

.

2

0

S

Q

U

A

R

E

H
E

X

D

O

T

S

H

O

E

L

P

A

T

T

E

R

N

S

4. Observe the diffraction
pattern on the screen.

Beam Widening

When using a green laser (which has a narrow beam) with the
“comparisons” patterns, place a lens between the laser and the
slits. This will spread the beam, making it easier to illuminate
both sets of slits simultaneously.

B

L

E

S

L

I

T

Sensor-based Set-up

To make sensor-based measurements, use a Linear Translator
(OS-8535), Aperture Bracket (OS-8534A), Rotary Motion sen­sor, and High Sensitivity Light Sensor. For set-up instructions,

1

An optics bench can also be purchased separately (par t OS-8541 or
OS-8508). A PASCO dynamics track with Optics Carriages (OS-8472) can
be used instead of an optics bench.

800-772-8700 www.pasco.com

see the manual included with the Linear Translator.

High Precision Diffraction Slits OS-8453

About the Diffraction Slits and
Other Apertures

Single Slits Wheel

Hex Pattern

Transparent, equi­lateral triangles

0.107 mm

are arranged as
illustrated.

0.02 mm

Dots Pattern

100 opaque circles

1.6 mm
diameter

are scattered on a
transparent back­ground as illus­trated.

Holes Pattern

100 transparent

0.06 mm
diameter

circles are scat­tered on an opaque
background. The
holes pattern is the same as the dots pattern, but with transparent
and opaque areas switched.

Circular Apertures

The two circular apertures have diameters of 0.2 mm and

0.4 mm.

Single Slits

The four singles slits have widths of 0.02 mm, 0.04 mm,

0.08 mm, and 0.16 mm.

Variable Slit

The “Variable Slit” is a wedge-shaped aperture ranging from

0.02 mm to 0.20 mm wide. Rotate the wheel to illuminate any
point along the length of the slit.

Square Pattern

Transparent
squares are
arranged in a grid.

0.02 mm

Each square is

0.107 mm wide.
The center-to-cen­ter spacing between
adjacent squares is

0.107 mm

0.109 mm.

Line

The opaque line on a transparent background is 0.08 mm wide.

Line/Slit Comparison

The opaque line on a transparent background and the transparent
slit on an opaque background can be illuminated simultaneously.
The line and slit are each 0.040 ± 0.005 mm wide.

opaque

line

transparent

slit

2

®

High Precision Diffraction Slits OS-8453

Multiple Slits Wheel

Multiple Slits and Double Slits

Each slit pattern is characterized by the number of slits, the slit
width (a), and the center-to-center spacing (d).

Number of Slits Slit Width (mm) Slit Spacing

(mm)

20.040.125

30.040.125

40.040.125

Multiple Slits

Double Slits

Variable Double Slit

The “Variable Double Slit” is a pair of long slits with spacing
ranging from 0.125 mm to 0.75 mm. Rotate the wheel to illumi­nate any point along the length of the pair.

50.040.125

2 0.04 0.25

2 0.04 0.50

2 0.08 0.25

2 0.08 0.50

Comparisons

Each comparison is a pair of patterns that can be illuminated
simultaneously.

Width
(mm)

Spacing
(mm)

0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.08 0.04 0.04 0.04

0.25 0.50 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.125 0.125

Specifications

Slit width tolerance ±0.005 mm

Slit spacing tolerance ±0.01 mm

±0.005 mm if spacing is 0.125 mm

or

Technical Support

For assistance with any PASCO product, contact PASCO at:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: [phone] (worldwide)

800-772-8700 (U.S.)

Fax: [phone]

Web: www.pasco.com

Email: [e-mail]

For more information about the High Precision Diffraction Slits
and the latest revision of this Instruction Sheet, visit:

www.pasco.com/go?OS-8453

Limited Warranty For a description of the product warranty, see the
PASCO catalog.
Copyright The PASCO scientific 012-10350A

Slits Instruction Sheet

granted to non-profit educational institutions for reproduction of any part of
this manual, providing the reproductions are used only in their laboratories
and classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under any other
circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO scientific, is prohib­ited.
Trademarks PASCO and PASCO scientific are trademarks or registered
trademarks of PASCO scientific, in the United States and/or in other coun­tries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trade­marks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services
of, their respective owners. For more information visit
www.pasco.com/legal.

is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Permission is

High Precision Diffraction

®

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