Major ideas
1.) The Zeeman Effect, discovered in the Sun, reveals a splitting of spectral lines in the presence of an external magnetic field. How does the magnetic moment of the atomic electron, tied to the electron’s total angular momentum , interact with the magnetic field? What are the predicted energy splitting for the 546nm line of Mercury?
a. How does the shift in electron energy levels relate to the shift in energy of the photons relative to the original 546nm photon without the magnetic field?
2.) Polarization of the photons. When the electron shifts z components of the total angular by 1, the photons are polarized one way. When they do not shift z components, they are polarized another. What are these polarizations? How do they arise? Which of the 9 predicted lines will be present when the light shines through a polarizing filter and again when that filter is rotated by 90?
Major equipment
1.) Scanned diffraction-grating monochromator for selecting transmitted wavelengths with high resolution. The monochromator is designed to permit adjustment of the widths of entrance and exit slits, with corresponding effects on resolution and transmitted light intensities. The instrument is controlled by computer with automated data collection.
2.)
a. Photodetector / amplifier assembly for measuring transmitted light intensities with high sensitivity and moderately rapid dynamic response.
b. OR Explaining the workings of the gas discharge tube that produces the spectrum.
Data analysis
1.) How and why is linear regression it the way it is?
2.) What are the predicted curves and slopes for the Zeeman effect when looking at photon energy vs magnetic field?
Here is a link to the attached document containing prelab questions.
Here is a video where Dr. Carlson discusses the Zeeman Effect.
See the documents below.