Cornell University
Light Waves: Grades 9-12
Explore the behavior of light waves with a lab activity. Scholars build new vocabulary through experimentation and observation. Using different mediums, they model reflection, refraction, transmission, diffusion, and scattering of light.
Curated OER
Learning Light's Properties
Students examine the properties of light and the behavior of light during interference. In this electromagnetics lesson students explain behaviors of light.
Curated OER
Reflect and Refract
Students explore light. In this properties of light lesson, students define the terms refract, reflect, and diffract after listening to the teacher's description. Students listen to the book Light Magic and observe a spoon in a glass of...
Curated OER
Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Students investigate...
Curated OER
Identifying Elements
Students use diffraction glasses to find similarities and differences between observed spectrum of fluorescent light and an incandescent light They work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise.
Beyond Benign
Flame Tests and Emission Spectra
Identify elements based on the color that they burn! Learners observe flames of various elements. Using diffraction film or a spectroscope, they assign a name to each.
Curated OER
Measuring the Wavelengths of Visible Light
Learners demonstrate use of an Emission tube power supply, a diffraction grating, and a scientific calculator to determine the different wavelengths of light.
Cornell University
Resolution—Not Just for the New Year
Experiment with optical resolution using an inquiry-based instructional activity. Young researchers calculate fellow classmates' optical resolutions. They apply the information to understand the inner workings of optical instruments.
Cornell University
Building Spectroscope
Given specific materials, scholars follow a set of instructions to build and calibrate their very own spectroscopes. After construction, they test the scope for accuracy and make modifications where necessary.
Curated OER
Refraction B2—When is Light Reflected Internally?
Physics is phun in this lesson. Young physicists use a lightbox to test how and where light is refracted and reflected as it travels through transparent materials. Angles of incidence and refraction, sine of both angles, and the ratio...
CK-12 Foundation
The Marina
Breakwaters offer marinas and beaches protection from large ocean waves, but how do they work? Scholars observe wave patterns and wave amplitude during the simulation. They control the number of openings, width of openings, distance...
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
Curated OER
Stellar Spectral Fingerprints
Learners listen as the teacher introduces Newton's early discovery of the diffraction of light. They use multiple sources of light (fluorescent, incandescent, sunlight, etc) to bend the light. They first use a prism then a diffraction...
Curated OER
Wave Action
In this wave worksheet, students compare the different ways a wave can react: absorption, reflection, refraction, and diffraction. Students also read about constructive and destructive interference. This worksheet has 13 matching, 10...
Curated OER
Color and Light Spectrum Demonstrations
Students explore the light spectrum. The teacher uses holographic diffraction grafting film on an overhead to demonstrate the true nature of color. After observing a vivid rainbow, students recognize that white light is composed of all...
Curated OER
Chemical Sleuthing
Students engage in a lesson which includes flame tests and the construction of a simple diffraction spectrograph with which to measure sodium ion emissions. They use the Bragg equation to compute the wavelength of the line spectra produced.
Mr. E. Science
Characteristics of Waves
Waves, waves, and more waves. Here, class members look at the many types and characteristics of energy waves including transverse, longitudinal, standing, seismic, p-waves, s-waves, and l-waves.
Cornell University
Spectral Analysis with DVDs and CDs
Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.
University of Colorado
Building a Fancy Spectrograph
A spectacular spectrograph awaits. A fun lesson has scholars build a spectrograph from an oatmeal container. They then use their devices to investigate the spectra of different light sources. They record their observations on a worksheet...
Curated OER
THE MANY COLORS OF SUNLIGHT
Students examine rainbow components, spectral colors, colors perceived by the eye, hot solids, glowing rarefied gas, absorption, that light is a wave, and optics.
Curated OER
Periodicity (The Periodic Table)
High schoolers investigate the properties of elements and periodicity. In this periodicity lesson plan, students observe a bag of 'elements' which are different fruits and classify them in groups and periods, show the periodic...
University of Colorado
Patterns and Fingerprints
Human fingerprint patterns are the result of layers of skin growing at different paces, thus causing the layers to pull on each other forming ridges. Here, groups of learners see how patterns and fingerprints assist scientists in a...
NASA
Taking Apart the Light
Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...
University of Colorado
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
Design a mission over the rainbow. Small groups spend several weeks together determining a mission related to spectroscopy. The teams build spectrographs and analyze the design to determine whether it will carry out the mission. At the...
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