Concepts

Bragg diffraction

Overview

Microwaves diffract off an array of ball bearings.

Details

Equipment

• [1] Microwave emitter and AC adapter
• [1] Microwave receiver and speaker
• [1] Ball bearing array
• [1] Lab jack

Classroom Assembly

1. Plug in the emitter and turn on the receiver to 30X mode.
2. Put the ball bearing array on the lab jack.
3. Align the emitter, receiver, and ball bearing array so that microwaves diffract off the array and into the receiver with maximum intensity.
4. Turn off the receiver.

Script

1. Turn on the receiver to show that microwaves diffract off the ball bearing array.
2. Rotate the ball bearing array to show the effects of misalignment.
3. Turn off the receiver and unplug the emitter.

Additional Resources