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Hstry Timeline: It's the Speed of Light, Dude!

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive timeline that students can read, watch and listen to in order to understand the scientist who tried and succeeded in measuring the speed of light.
eBook
Libre Text

Libre Texts: Physics: Distortion of Space and Time

For Students 11th - 12th
If the speed of light remains a constant then time and distance change. Oh, it can be confusing! This text will help clear up the confusion. Discussion questions should serve to reinforce comprehension.and exercises
Website
University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota: Refraction of Light

For Students 9th - 10th
This page is a continuation of a tutorial about light reflection and refraction. It contains a diagram and suggestions on how to derive Snell's Law, which governs the refraction of light in a medium. For background to this derivation,...
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: How Does Light Travel Through Space and Other Media?

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed discussion of the nature of light, how it can travel through a vacuum, and how the speed of light is affected when light travels through a medium.
Activity
NC State University

Pira Demonstration Catalog: Speed of Light

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A series of short descriptions of possible physics demonstrations for illustrating or measuring the speed of light. Suitable as a supplement to a teacher lesson plan or as an idea-generator for student projects.
Activity
PBS

Pbs: Nova: Time Travel: Think Like Einstein

For Students 9th - 10th
Addressed with questions about relative speed and the speed of light, students begin to "think like Einstein" while exploring the science behind the mystery of time travel.
eBook
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Refraction and Ray Model of Light: Direction of Bending

For Students 9th - 10th
In this interactive physics tutorial about refraction, students investigate the topic of the direction of bending of a light wave.
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Observing Refraction of Light

For Students 9th - 10th
This video segment adapted from Shedding Light on Science illustrates how light changes speed, and thus direction, in a process known as refraction. Includes background reading and discussion questions. [2:05]
Handout
Symmetry Magazine

Symmetry Magazine: Explain It in 60 Seconds: Cherenkov Light

For Students 9th - 10th
Cherenkov light is explained here as the light emitted when a charged particle travels through matter faster than light would be able to. This would be slower, however, than the maximum speed of light, which occurs in a vacuum. "Explain...
Article
Society for Science and the Public

Science News for Students: Breaking the Universal Speed Limit

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes research into whether neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Refraction of Light

For Students 4th - 5th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses refraction of light in matter and how light changes its speed and angle of refraction according to the type of medium it is travelling through.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: Train of Thought

For Students 3rd - 8th
Try out your ability to think like Einstein by working through two thought experiments that help explain how satellites stay in orbit and how the speed of light affects the universe.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Light

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In the following tutorial students will describe the relationships between speed, wavelength, and frequency of light. They will understand the photoelectric effect...
Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: General Properties of Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
Light travels as waves. Waves can be described by their amplitude, wavelength and frequency. The speed of a wave can be calculated from its frequency and wavelength.
Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Optical Density and Light Speed

For Students 9th - 10th
A tutorial page explaining how the speed of light is dependent upon the optical density of the material through which it moves. Optical density is related to the index of refraction; sample values are given.
Handout
Fourmilab Switzerland

John Walker: C Ship: The Dilation of Time

For Students 9th - 10th
A good mathematical account of what happens to time as you approach c: the speed of light. Also provides a rather a fascinating video (fly through the Lattice) - don't miss it. Take some time and explore this site.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Wave Speed Calculations

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate and analyze characteristics of waves, including velocity, and calculate the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength.
Website
Stanford University

Stanford University: Conventionality of Simultaneity

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Stanford University is on the topic of simultaneity in relativity.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: The Quantum Mechanical Model

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In the following online tutorial students will calculate the wavelength, frequency, and energy of light using Planck's constant and the speed of light. They will...
eBook
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom:refraction/ray Model of Light: Optical Density/light Speed

For Students 9th - 10th
In order to understand refraction, students will explore the factors that affect the speed at which a light wave is transported through a medium.
Handout
Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Light

For Students K - 1st
What is light? Illustrated discussion of the speed of light, how we see colors, and how light helps us.
Website
NASA

Rxte Learning Center: Frequency, Wave Length, and Energy Activity

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource focuses on the relationship between the frequency, wavelength and speed of light. Has a link to an interactive activity relating frequency, wavelength, and energy.
Website
Other

Uc Riverside: Usenet Relativity Faq

For Students 9th - 10th
A physics usenet listing of frequently asked questions relating to relativity, answered by a number of scientists. Administrivia and Reference, Speed of Light, Special Relativity, General Relativity and Cosmology, Black Holes. Loads of...
Handout
NASA

Nasa Space Place: What Is a Light Year?

For Students 3rd - 8th
Brief description of light-years with examples and images.

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