PBS
Pbs Learning Media: What Is a Wave?
This interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab provides an overview of the characteristics and properties of various types of waves, including light waves, sound waves, and water waves.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Wave Interference
Make waves with a dripping faucet, audio speaker, or laser. Add a second source or a pair of slits to create an interference pattern.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Diffraction
This physics department site provides links about the diffraction of light. Each page includes thorough explanations and meaningful graphics. Some pages include interactive problem-solving practice sections.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Wave Interference
Conduct virtual experiments with water, sound, and light waves to determine the sine wave and patterns created in each.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Mechanical Waves
Learn about mechanical waves, which transfers energy from one place to another through liquids, gases and solids, with this interactive lesson.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Electromagnetic Waves
Through informational text, interactive activities, practice problems, and virtual simulations, students explore the properties of electromagnetic waves.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Waves: The Three Color Mystery
Students are presented with a challenge question concerning color blindness and asked to use engineering principles to design devices to help people who are color blind. Using the legacy cycle as a model, this unit is comprised of five...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Visible Light and Matter
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How visible light interacts with matter and classifying matter in terms of light.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Bringing the Universe to America's Classrooms: Waves: Light Collection
Observe the appearance of objects under different conditions to find that objects are only visible when illuminated by light, explore how light interacts with different materials, and develop a code that uses light to communicate across...
Utah State Office of Education
Utah State Office of Education: Force, Energy, & Motion
A unit on energy, force, and motion presented with interactive and classroom activities. Students gain an understanding of weight, mass, potential and kinetic energy, sound, and heat with this engaging resource.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Wave Motion
Two wave graphs depicting a sine wave and relating the various characteristics (wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and period) of a wave to each other. The site includes an interactive JavaScript form in which the visitor enters one...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Blackbody Spectrum
How does the blackbody spectrum of the sun compare to visible light? Learn about the blackbody spectrum of the sun, a light bulb, an oven, and the earth. Adjust the temperature to see the wavelength and intensity of the spectrum change....
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Physics: Light Ii: Electromagnetism
Instructional module focusing on light and electromagnetism. Discussion includes historical discoveries that led to the understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and links relating to...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Law of Reflection: Angle of Incidence
[Free Registration/Login Required] In the scenario shown here, the laser cannot shine through the black barrier but can hit all three targets by reflecting off of the floor. Use the red dot to change the angle of the laser generator and...
Other
Open School Bc: Sound and Light
The Sound and Light interactive investigates these two forms of energy. Students will enjoy exploring how sound and light are created, travel, and can be controlled.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Light and Shadow [Pdf]
In this lesson plan, students experience how light interacts with the environment by investigating relationships between shadows and light. Students will experiment with light by observing how light travels through materials and distances.
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Laser O Logy Card
Flip over this interactive OLogy card to find fast facts, questions and answers, and similar bite-size pieces of information about the properties and uses of lasers.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Interactions
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Ways that waves can interact with matter and examples.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physics Simulation: Least Time
[Free Registration/Login Required] Explore how Snell's Law arises out of the principle of least time; understand how light rays change direction at interfaces between materials using this interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a...
Science is Fun
Science Is Fun: Floating Soap Bubbles
In this experiment you learn how to generate carbon dioxide inside a container, and float soap bubbles above the gas. Once the bubbles are suspended, it is possible to observe them closely, which is normally very difficult to do....
California Institute of Technology
Cool Cosmos: The Herschel Experiment
This website provides a background on the discoverer of infared light--Sir Frederick William Herschel. A version of the experiment Herschel conducted in the 1800s is provided as well.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Winery: Why Can We See Through Some Objects but Not Others?
Learn about the properties of materials in their interactions with light, including whether they are opaque, transparent, or translucent, and which of these produce shadows.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Wave Interactions: Law of Reflection
[Free Registration/Login Required] Move the light source to see what happens to the reflected ray as you change the angle of the incident ray.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physics Simulation: Marina
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about the interference and diffraction patterns that result when a wave passes through one or two thin openings using this interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a video tutorial are also...