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Ops Manager Extension: Line Follower Explained

8. Experiment: Materials

Visible light travels through materials such as glass or clear plastic. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to see through windows. Let’s conduct an experiment to see if infrared light can travel through these materials as well.

In an area away from direct sunlight:

Experiment #1

          • place the robot on top of white card
          • run the Test & Calibration Code cell
          • record the average value reported in the table below.

Experiment #2

          • Now place a large glass oven dish on top of the white card
          • place the robot inside it
          • re-run the code and record the average value reported.

Experiment #3

          • Repeat this experiment, replacing the oven dish with a sheet of clear plastic or the lid of a clear plastic storage crate.

Compare the average values recorded when directly over the card with those taken through plastic and glass.

Can infrared light pass through plastic and glass?