Curated OER
Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Light and Optics
Nineteen word problems dealing with frequency, speed, reflection, and refraction of light are provided here. Empower your physics masters to manipulate equations for computing angles, focal lengths, image heights, and more! This is a...
Exploratorium
Parabolas
A parabolic mirror toy demonstrates how concave mirrors objects reflect light and produce a realistic image at their focal point. This resource probably doesn't explain any more than the printed insert that accompanies such an apparatus...
Exploratorium
Hot Spot
Not only does a concave mirror focus light waves, it can also concentrate infrared radiation into a hot spot. If you have a small electric heater and such a mirror, demonstrate this for your physical science class.
Exploratorium
Touch the Spring
Concave mirrors and the images they produce are traditional topics in the physics classroom. This resource explains how to set up an investigation of them, and it provides you with the explanation of concepts.
Curated OER
Concave Mirrors
Study concave and convex mirrors with an in-depth slideshow presentation. Slides contain term definitions as well as labeled diagrams.
Curated OER
Typical Conceptual Questions for Physics I - Light and Quantum
This is a stellar overview of everything light and quantum! There are 30 multiple choice questions, none of them requiring any mathematical computation. There are a few diagrams to analyze: light rays striking reflective and refractive...
Curated OER
Light
All aspects of the path of light are included in a great summary. Internal reflection and the angles of paths in different materials are explained and the behavior of visible light through lenses and the effect on focal points are...
Curated OER
Spherical Mirrors
Some formatting issues will need repair (a few overlapping text boxes and pictures), but overall this is a comprehensive presentation on how light reflects off of spherical mirrors. Both convex and concave mirrors are explained,...
Michigan Technological University
Giant Mirrors
Did you know some retailers use curved mirrors in their fitting rooms to make customers look thinner? Pupils view themselves in convex and concave mirrors to understand the difference. The resource includes big ideas for multiple age...
Physics LAB
Spherical Mirror Equation #2
For this spherical mirror worksheet, learners are given diagrams of concave spherical mirrors, their focal points and an object. Students answer 10 questions about the location of the images, the size of the images and the height of the...
Jefferson Lab
Optics: Mirrors and Lenses
Did you see that or did I imagine it? Optical illusions are often created with mirrors and lenses, and here is a presentation that covers many different types of mirrors and lenses and how they work. Flat, concave, and convex mirrors, as...
Physics Classroom
The L.O.S.T. Art of Image Description - Curved Mirrors
We see curved mirrors every day in spoons, rear-view mirrors, stores as a safety measure, make-up mirrors, and in novelty stores. Scholars explore the changes to an image based on the curve of the mirror, the location of the image, and...
Curated OER
What do Lenses Do?
Students learn to differentiate between different types of lenses. In this lens activity, students discover how lenses are different and why a specific lens should be used. Students understand how to find the focal point of a lens....
Curated OER
Comparison of Images Formed by Plane, Cylindrical and Spherical Mirrors
Students experiment with differently shaped mirrors. In this reflection and optics lesson, students investigate the visual effects of reflected images in mirrors. They use plane, cylindrical, and concave mirrors for the activity.
CK-12 Foundation
Contact Lens
How do contact lenses work? The simulation allows young scientists to explore focal length and lens type to see how and why contact lenses work. Pupils control the focal length for an eye and a lens, the type of lens, and the distance...
Mr. E. Science
Light
Where does bad light end up? In a prism! The presentation covers light, mirrors, lenses, and the structure of the eye. It also provides explanations of reflection, refraction, concave and convex mirrors and lenses, and a comparison of...
Cornell University
Beam Focusing Using Lenses
Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...
Curated OER
Spherical Mirrors
Young scholars view images in a spherical mirror and interpret the path of light. In this physics lesson, students view a large spherical mirror demonstrated by the instructor. They use shiny serving spoons to investigate the path of...
Curated OER
Refraction and Lenses
In this lenses worksheet, students will review refraction through lenses by reading pairs of statements and circling the correct ones. Then students will read 9 statements and indicate if the statement is referring to a concave lens,...
Curated OER
Optics- The Study of Light
In this optics worksheet, high schoolers read about refraction and reflection, lenses and mirrors, and objects and images. They answer 13 matching questions about light rays, light behavior and types of lenses. They also answer 9...
Curated OER
The Geometry of Real Images
In this math worksheet, students read the examples for using the techniques of mathematical modeling. They draw the angles in order to simulate the reflection of light while using a concave mirror.
Urbana School District
Optics
Don't worry, optics is a light topic! The presentation covers reflection, refraction, fiber optics, mirages, prisms, rainbows, dispersion, mirrors, lenses, telescopes, diffraction, the human eye, and much, much more. Presentation is the...
Physics LAB
Spherical Mirrors
In this mirrors worksheet, students identify the equation that describes the relationship between the mirror's focal length and its radius. Students compare images reflected through concave mirrors and different distances. This worksheet...
Exploratorium
Laser Jello
The concepts of refraction and reflection gel with your physical science class during this colorful exploration. Shining lasers through Petri-dish-shaped gelatin desserts, they will notice how the light travels and bounces off the sides....