Objectives
The objectives of this lab are
- to examine the use Fermat's Principle of least-time to
derive the Law of Reflection and the Law of Refraction;
- to experimentally determine the angle at which
rainbows appear in the sky;
- to understand geometric properties of rainbows by analyzing the
the passage of light through a raindrop;
- to apply our knowledge of derivatives to a problem in
the physical sciences;
- to better understand the relationship between the geometric,
symbolic, and numerical representation of derivatives;
Next: How does light travel?
Return to:Outline
Frederick J. Wicklin <fjw@geom.umn.edu>
Paul Edelman <edelman@math.umn.edu>
This lab is based on a module developed by Steven Janke and published
in Modules in Undergraduate Mathematics and its Applications, 1992.
Last modified: Wed Oct 18 12:17:16 1995