PURPOSE: To demonstrate thermal expansion in a complicated way.
DESCRIPTION: A small mirror with an iron lever attached to it rests on one end of an aluminum tube. The other edge of the lever rests on the pole of a magnet. When the aluminum tube is heated with a burner the mirror is deflected. To measure this deflection a laser beam is reflected off the mirror onto a scale as shown in the picture. When the tube is heated the laser spot is deflected about 50 cm when the distance between the mirror and the scale is about 2 m.
SUGGESTIONS:
REFERENCES: (PIRA unavailable.)
EQUIPMENT: Aluminum tube, iron lever, magnet, mirror, mounted laser and scale.
SETUP TIME: 5 min.
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