Fiber Optic Technician

Click for salary, education, & more: Fiber Optic Technician (técnico de fibra óptica)

Make your own model of a fiber optic cable! Here’s how:

Materials Needed:

• laser pointer
• clear empty soda bottle with cap 
• water
• milk
• marker
• masking tape
• sink
• pointy sharp object (needle, skewer) 

Directions:

1. Fill the bottle with water and put a few drops of milk in to make it slightly cloudy. 
2. Set up the laser pointer so it is horizontal about 3in from the surface of the counter. 
3. Put it next to the bottle and adjust until the line of light passes through the milky water. 
4. With the marker, make a dot where the light beam touches the far side of the bottle. Pour out all the water. 
5. Use a sharp object to make a small hole in the soda bottle at the dot. 
6. Cover the hole with a piece of masking tape. Fill the bottle again with milky water. Put the cap on tight. 
7. Place the bottle on the counter next to the sink. 
8. Set up the laser pointer so it is aimed through the bottle at the hole. 
9. Take the tape off to see if the light hits the hole.
10. Loosen the cap until you get a stream of water pouring into the sink. Adjust the laser pointer or walk around the bottle until you can see the light in the curved stream of water.

To see the demo in action, you can watch this video (but try to do it on your own first!)

Pretty cool right!? How did this demo model how a fiber optic cable works? Post your response and a picture of your model in action in our Student Showcase to build your resume!