Glass Blocks (for optics experiments)

Glass blocks from a lab supply company are generally 15 mm thick rectangular pieces of glass with beveled edges, so students do not cut themselves. They can be expensive, especially if you need many. Fortunately, it is possible to buy your own glass and find a craftsman to make blocks for you, especially if you insist on the importance of clean, parallel cuts. 8 mm glass is relatively common in towns and 10 mm glass can be found in industrial areas of the most major cities. 12 mm and thicker glass exists though is even more difficult to find. However, for most optics practicals, several pieces of thinner glass can simply be stacked together and turned on their edge. This is a powerful way of showing refraction, and the necessary material (ordinary glass) is cheap and widely available.

You could leave a comment if you were logged in.