A phosphoroscope is piece of
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
equipment devised in 1857 by physicist
A. E. Becquerel to measure how long it takes a
phosphorescent material to stop glowing after it has been
excited.
It consists of two rotating
disks with holes in them. The holes are arranged on each disk at equal
angular intervals and a constant distance from the centre, but the holes in one disk do not align with the holes in the other. A sample of phosphorescent material is placed in between the two disks.
Light
Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...
coming in through a hole in one of the discs excites the phosphorescent material which then
emits light for a short amount of time. The disks are then rotated and by changing their speed, the length of time the material glows can be determined.
References
External links
Description and image of a phosphoroscope at the Kenyon College Department of Physics
Luminescence
Measuring instruments
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