A question of validity

I have a proposition for an experiment such as the shining a laser at a wall a fair distance away. While doing that measure the elevation of the laser (I will not go in to detail about this because t has been described in many other posts). Re'ers claim that the elevation proves that the earth is curved but FE'ers claim that it shows that light bends. By taking an unbiased object such as a meter ruler which is known to be straight in both FET and RET check each section of the visible lazer is straight. This can be used to either prove or disprove the existence of bendy light. If it is proved that light does not bend then surely this must then prove that the earth is curved and spherical.

I have a proposition for an experiment such as the shining a laser at a wall a fair distance away. While doing that measure the elevation of the laser (I will not go in to detail about this because t has been described in many other posts). Re'ers claim that the elevation proves that the earth is curved but FE'ers claim that it shows that light bends. By taking an unbiased object such as a meter ruler which is known to be straight in both FET and RET check each section of the visible lazer is straight. This can be used to either prove or disprove the existence of bendy light. If it is proved that light does not bend then surely this must then prove that the earth is curved and spherical.

The bend is so slight that comparing it to a 1 meter ruler they would both appear straight. And if you mean measuring how high above the ground it is, that would depend on the height of the ground at that point, and would give the same result if the ground were curved or if there was bendy light.

Quote from: beniceimtrying on May 02, 2009, 05:23:09 PM

I have a proposition for an experiment such as the shining a laser at a wall a fair distance away. While doing that measure the elevation of the laser (I will not go in to detail about this because t has been described in many other posts). Re'ers claim that the elevation proves that the earth is curved but FE'ers claim that it shows that light bends. By taking an unbiased object such as a meter ruler which is known to be straight in both FET and RET check each section of the visible lazer is straight. This can be used to either prove or disprove the existence of bendy light. If it is proved that light does not bend then surely this must then prove that the earth is curved and spherical.

The bend is so slight that comparing it to a 1 meter ruler they would both appear straight. And if you mean measuring how high above the ground it is, that would depend on the height of the ground at that point, and would give the same result if the ground were curved or if there was bendy light.

Use a level

Quote from: Raist on May 02, 2009, 06:01:17 PM

Quote from: beniceimtrying on May 02, 2009, 05:23:09 PM

I have a proposition for an experiment such as the shining a laser at a wall a fair distance away. While doing that measure the elevation of the laser (I will not go in to detail about this because t has been described in many other posts). Re'ers claim that the elevation proves that the earth is curved but FE'ers claim that it shows that light bends. By taking an unbiased object such as a meter ruler which is known to be straight in both FET and RET check each section of the visible lazer is straight. This can be used to either prove or disprove the existence of bendy light. If it is proved that light does not bend then surely this must then prove that the earth is curved and spherical.

The bend is so slight that comparing it to a 1 meter ruler they would both appear straight. And if you mean measuring how high above the ground it is, that would depend on the height of the ground at that point, and would give the same result if the ground were curved or if there was bendy light.

Use a level

Again, the level is short, and each section of the light would be fairly level. We are talking about a drop of a few nanometers. Also the thickness of the beam would make this a bit hard.

I am all for experiments which proves FET wrong, but this experiment is just terrible.  It won't show anything either way.  Think... how could you possibly use a 1 meter stick to show that a laser beam that travels kilometers before any noticible deflection, or curvature, is in fact either curved or straight?  Even if the laser did "bend", it would probably be straighter than any meter stick you could buy.

which brings up a good question... is the "bendy light" that some FEers subscribe to attributed to General Relativity, or just some goofy property of electromagnetic fields?

Sounds like an elementary problem to me.  PM me if you need some help on your homework 

I am all for experiments which proves FET wrong, but this experiment is just terrible. 

x2

Sounds like an elementary problem to me.  PM me if you need some help on your homework 

I figured it out. It's only freshmen physics. And it just wasn't the angle we had to find, it was an angle to find a specific interference pattern.

Yeah, i figured... those are the only "refraction" angles that are really relevant at the basic level.  Although they're diffraction angles, not refraction.  Big difference.

Good luck with the rest of your homework...

Yeah, i figured... those are the only "refraction" angles that are really relevant at the basic level.  Although they're diffraction angles, not refraction.  Big difference.

Good luck with the rest of your homework...

It's done. It wasn't homework, just reviewing for finals.

Finals are at the end of every semester.  I just had my finals.  I've had my finals at the end of every semester since freshman year.

I have a proposition for an experiment such as the shining a laser at a wall a fair distance away. While doing that measure the elevation of the laser (I will not go in to detail about this because t has been described in many other posts). Re'ers claim that the elevation proves that the earth is curved but FE'ers claim that it shows that light bends. By taking an unbiased object such as a meter ruler which is known to be straight in both FET and RET check each section of the visible lazer is straight. This can be used to either prove or disprove the existence of bendy light. If it is proved that light does not bend then surely this must then prove that the earth is curved and spherical.

not if that part of the earth was on a slant, as what happens with hills and mountains.  It proves nothing.

with the meter ruler i meant it as an example of something that is theoretically taken to be perfectly straight and can then be combined to make a line that is straight and also solid not like a beam of light. The main point (which now looking back i can see i did not put in) is that use a solid object that will not bend.