Logger Pro for the Observation of Single-Slit Diffraction in the Determination of Metal Coefficients of Linear Thermal Expansion

Experiments using Logger Pro-aided observation of single-slit diffraction patterns have been performed to determine coefficients of linear thermal expansion of metals. The sample metals were iron and brass. The calculation involves weighted linear regression analysis of 1/z against temperature, where z is the distance between the end to the center of the central bright line, and a computer-aided χ2 goodness of fit test. From the χ2 goodness of fit test, it is concluded that the relation between 1/z and temperature is linear, in agreement with theory. The coefficients of linear thermal expansion for iron obtained agree well with the reference value, while that for brass is close to the reference values.