Students investigate an example of interference that provides further evidence in support of the wavelike behavior of light.

Simulation that shows the diffraction of light through single or multiple slits. Simulation allows modification of the number of slits, slit width, slit separation, and the wavelength.

This lab is designed to allow students to look at the factors affecting the angle at which constructive interference occurs for waves passing through a two slit diffraction grating. This video helps explain the problem:...

Rainbows and sunsets are called "atmospheric optics". They can be caused by light being absorbed, reflected, scattered, refracted, or diffracted by particles in the atmosphere. Learn all about different atmospheric optics along with...

Light travels as transverse waves and can travel through a vacuum. Sound travels as longitudinal waves and needs to travel through a solid, liquid or gas. Read about the properties of light and of sound, and learn the differences between...

Students learn the basic properties of light--the concepts of light absorption, transmission, reflection and refraction, as well as the behavior of light during interference. Lecture information briefly addresses the electromagnetic...

Demonstrate light bending called diffraction in this activity.

This resource presents a cooperative learning activity where students can enhance their knowledge of light diffraction. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.

An activity to demonstrate how light behaves when encountering an obstacle, in this case, wax blocks placed in a ripple tank. Includes an explanation of the diffraction that occurs.

This activity is designed for learners to apply their knowledge of mathematics and physics to "real life" situations. Students are presented with the situation that they are on a camping trip and wish to know the wavelength emitted by a...

Kids learn about the behavior of light as a wave in the science of physics including reflection, refraction, and diffraction.

Students create and decorate their own spectrographs using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual components of light. After building the...

Students use simple materials to design an open spectrograph so they can calculate the angle light is bent when it passes through a holographic diffraction grating. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual...

Students learn how using a spectrograph helps us understand the composition of light sources. Using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings (available online at a variety of sites, including Edmund Scientifics and the...

Students find and calculate the angle that light is transmitted through a holographic diffraction grating using trigonometry. After finding this angle, student teams design and build their own spectrographs, researching and designing a...

Through two classroom demos, students are introduced to the basic properties of lasers through various mediums. In the Making an Electric Pickle demonstration, students see how cellular tissue is able to conduct electricity, and how this...

An indexing page for a physics department site about the wave properties of light that lead to interference.

A collection of several pages explaining the principles which underlie Rayleigh scattering of light.

Short descriptions and graphics of three demonstrations which illustrate the diffraction phenomenon. Suitable as a supplement for a teacher lesson plan or as an idea-generator for a student project.

Article goes into detail about what exactly is interference.

Students will make their own spectroscope, learn how light is bent by a diffraction grating, and explore how various forms of light differ.

Make your own rainbow candy in this fun STEM activity. You will do it without using any food coloring. Instead, you will use a light-bending phenomenon called diffraction.

[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...

Students use the spectrograph from the "Building a Fancy Spectrograph" activity to gather data about light sources. Using their data, they make comparisons between different light sources and make conjectures about the composition of a...