TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: How Does a Light Sensor Work?
A mini-activity, which uses LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT intelligent bricks and light sensors gives learners a chance to investigate how light sensors function in preparation for the associated activity involving the light sensors and taskbots.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Follow the Light
A lesson involving LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robots and light sensors, student pairs program the robots to follow a flashlight as its light beam moves around.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Measuring Light Pollution
Students are introduced to the concept of light pollution by investigating the nature, sources and levels of light in their classroom environment. They learn about the adverse effects of artificial light and the resulting consequences on...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Reflectivity of Light
In this activity, students can use a Light Sensor to measure reflection values from paper of various colors and compare these values to reflection values of aluminum foil. They will also calculate percent reflectivity.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Laser Light Properties: Protecting the Mummified Troll!
Students learn and use the properties of light to solve the following challenge: "A mummified troll was discovered this summer at our school and it has generated lots of interest worldwide. The principal asked us, the technology classes,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Beating the Motion Sensor
Lighting is responsible for nearly one-third of the electricity use in buildings. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to make sure the lights are turned off when no one is in a room. This process can be automated using motion...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Determining Concentration
Students quantify the percent of light reflected from solutions containing varying concentrations of red dye using LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT bricks and light sensors. They begin by analyzing a set of standard solutions with known...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Balancing Act
Students are given the opportunity to visualize and interact with concepts they have already learned, specifically algebraic equations and solving for unknown variables. Students construct a balancing seesaw system (LEGO Balance Scale)...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Light at a Distance: Distance and Light Intensity
In this activity, students can use a light sensor to record the light intensity at various distances from a bulb. They will compare the data to an inverse square and a power law model.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Lights Out: Periodic Phenomena
In this activity, students can use a light sensor to collect intensity data for fast and slow variations of intensities. They will then describe these variations using the concepts of period and frequency.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Laser Types and Uses
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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Line Follower Challenge
Student groups are challenged to program robots with light sensors to follow a black line. Learning both the logic and skills behind programming robots for this challenge helps students improve their understanding of how robots work, and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Construct It!
Students use simple household materials, such as PVC piping and compact mirrors, to construct models of laser-based security systems. The protected object (a "mummified troll" or another treasure of your choosing) is placed "on display"...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Comparing Sunscreens
In this activity, students use the UVB Sensor to measure the amount of UVB light that passes through a thin film of sunscreen. They analyze the relationship between the SPF values and the intensity of UVB light transmitted by the sunscreen.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: All Fat Is Not Created Equally!
Students learn that fats found in the foods we eat are not all the same; they discover that physical properties of materials are related to their chemical structures. Provided with several samples of commonly used fats with different...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Materials Properties Make a Difference
Students investigate the materials properties-such as acoustical absorptivity, light reflectivity, thermal conductivity, hardness, and water resistancea-of various materials. They use sound, light and temperature sensors to collect data...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Boom Construction
Student teams design their own booms (bridges) and engage in a friendly competition with other teams to test their designs. Each team strives to design a boom that is light, can hold a certain amount of weight, and is affordable to...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Bonus Points
A place to share and see others' ideas for improving a lego robotics project, light guitar.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Thirsty for Gold
Student teams conduct an experiment that uses gold nanoparticles as sensors of chemical agents to determine which of four sports drinks has the most electrolytes. In this way, students are introduced to gold nanoparticles and their...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Muddy Water Adventure 8
Students use a light sensor to analyze the effect of storm water run-off on the turbidity of local water. They interpret and analyze scatter plots and understand exponential relationship.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Sunrise, Sunset: Weather Match
Students determine the relationship between temperature and light intensity. They use a Temperature Sensor and a Light Intensity Sensor to collect temperature and light intensity data for a period of 24 hours. They understand the effect...
Curated OER
Science Kids: Science Images: Robot Soccer
Two robots can be seen playing a game of robot soccer in an enclosed field. The wheeled robots move around the area using various sensors and algorithms to help perform better than the opponent. Touch sensors are used to avoid the walls...