United Scientific Supplies UGA001 Ultrasonic Grating Apparatus

Ultrasonic Grating Apparatus

Includes:

• Optical Bench, 1000mm x1
• Rider, Lateral Adjustment x1
• Riders, Plain x4
• Micrometer Eyepiece x1
• Eyepiece Adapter Ring x1
• Glass Tank for HF Grating x1
• HF Generator and Frame x1
• Optical Table x1
• Connecting Cords x2
• Lenses, f = +170mm x2
• Height Fixing Collar x1
• Eyepiece Holder, Adjustable x1
• Lens Holders, Plain x2
• Adjustable Slit x1
• Mercury Lamp, 20W, 110V x1

The Ultrasonic Grating Apparatus is both a unique demonstration of the interaction of longitudinal sound waves and transverse light waves and also a method for the precise determination of the speed of sound in liquids, which is otherwise difficult to do in the undergraduate lab.

The core of the apparatus is a parallel-sided glass tank that houses the liquid sample and contains a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ultrasonic transducer. The transducer is energized by an RF signal in the 8-12 MHz range. Resonances can be found to set up a standing wave field in the liquid, which results in a periodic variation of the liquid’s refractive index along the tank.