Astronomy Simplified (#3): Speed of Light Experiment

You don't trust others? You don't have to. Here's a cool experiment you can do on your own to measure the speed of light.

I am going to try and keep this up and do some more fun experiments. If you have ideas, feel free to message me!

Please visit http://www.smarterthanthat.com/ (because we really are smarter than that if we just think about things) - to see more information, extra explanations and just fun. If you like it, please digg the blog entry!

I will probably post more experiment videos, so if you want to see more, show your support by participating in the blog and diggin' it. :)


For any experiment ideas or questions, msg me.

== RESOURCES: ==

Speed of light:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/waves_particles/lightspeed_evidence.html
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/measure_c.html
http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/lectures/spedlite.html

Electromagnetic Waves:
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/waves3.html
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/waves_particles/index.html

Original idea (You can also find more information of how to conduct this experiment yourselves):
http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science//item/measure_speed_light_microwave_...

Similar Experiment:
http://www.physics.umd.edu/icpe/newsletters/n34/marshmal.htm

Remember: True science is about experimentation and observation. If you use your brain to do some thinking, the world is at your feet!

Enjoy!

~moo

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• astronomy
• speed
• of
• light
• experiment
• science
• chocolate
• bar
• measure
• mooeypoo
• geek
• DIY
• physics

[besorgesmir]

Are you Ellen´s little sister? :-(

[mooeypoo]

@besorgesmir ?

[martinez199327]

are u going to finish those?

[PlanetAmazing]

Awesome! Please make more science videos!

[kirkelicious]

I like the concept of this experiment. The explanation however is, im sad to say, false. You cant understand the physics without the concept of a standing wave. there is no "entrance" or "exit-point", only areas with high or low energy. These do not necessarily lign up in your chocolate bits. I suggest you redo this one, because i love the essence of showing that physics do concern our everyday life.

[Michel0555]

@RaqseeBismil

If the wavelength is 5,89 x 10^-7 then that is 589 nanometers

[Michel0555]

@kurpochelo By a diffrent color I mean a diffrent frequency, humans can't see it but its just another color of light. We can't hear ultrasone soundwaves but they are still soundwaves.

This device being a microwave obviously means it uses microwaves. And microwaves are a certain frequency. If it were a diffrent frequency it wouldn't be a microwave...

[kurpochelo]

@Michel0555 1) Microwaves are invisible, so saying different color of light is nonsesne.

2) Infrared light would melt chocolate as well.

3) Your comment is irrelevant.

[thethief123456]

Doing this for a project in school on physics. Just wondering , do you actually need 36 Ghz microwave? I've seen others that do it with any frequency microwave. They just multiply the wavelength with the frequency. Does the frequency 36 have anything to do with it ? As a microwave always uses light ( EMR ) to heat things, the frequency used shouldn't matter not ?

[Erik24R]

Awesome!!!



[Michel0555]

@kurpochelo

That may be so, but the frequency it has determines that it is a microwave. Any other frequency would make for a diffrent color of light. And being able to melt chocolate with the waves means the waves are microwaves.

[Michel0555]

@GuitarShred07

Dark is the absence of light, it is in fact nothingness. Thus, it has no speed.

In the same way, coldness does not exist, it is the absence of heat.

When people say something feels cold it actually means they are losing body warmth to the object they touch.

[Michel0555]

@BachRiff

Because per unit of distance, less time passes for the object which is going near the speed of light, for the object it will be as if he were travelling much faster than the speed of light.