In this interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab, students will learn how to measure wavelengths and see how wavelength affects the color of the light that we see.

This activity is designed for students 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...

This is a rockin' project for guitarists with an interest in the physics behind music. If you have ever wondered why the pitch of the note changes when you fret the string, this project will help you understand by applying basic...

Describes the characteristics of light, presents two formulas for calculating its wavelength, and provides a table of the different wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Read about the visible light spectrum and learn the frequencies and wavelengths for each of the primary and secondary colors.

After looking at a representative two-point source interference pattern with accompanying order numbers, students investigate the rationale behind the numbering system, and develop some mathematical equations that relate the features of...

Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate diffraction of light and the interference patterns that are produced through constructive and destructive interference of the waves. Students...

This lesson introduces the concepts of wavelength and amplitude in transverse waves. In the associated activity, students will use ropes and their bodies to investigate different wavelengths and amplitudes.

In this very detailed lesson plan from NASA, students investigate wavelength and frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum.

In this introduction to light energy, students learn about reflection and refraction as they learn that light travels in wave form. Through hands-on activities, they see how prisms, magnifying glasses and polarized lenses work. They also...

Students investigate the underlying causes of two-point source interference pattern. They also discover that the spatial separation between the antinodal and nodal lines in the pattern is related to the wavelength of the waves.

Kids learn about the properties waves in the science of physics including amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period, and speed.

Explains what spectrophotometry is, the types of spectrophotometers, and what they are used for.

The following videos show sunspots using wavelengths of light that the human eye cannot see. Watch sunspots emerging on the earth's surface, a sunspot moving across the earth's surface, and the rotation of the sun as a sunspot evolves...

How did scientists figure out the structure of atoms without looking at them? Try out different models by shooting light at the atom. Check how the prediction of the model matches the experimental results.

The scanning spectrometer measures absorbance vs. wavelength for liquid samples. Directions on how to use this instrument are provided here.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explains what causes single slit interference of light and how to find the wavelength of a single slit interference pattern using a formula.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explains the terms diffraction, interference, and interference patterns. Describes the double slit experiment and how to determine the wavelength of a double slit...

Introduction to the quantum mechanical model of the atom: Thinking about electrons as probabilistic matter waves using the de Broglie wavelength, the Schrodinger equation, and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Electron spin and the...

Music and sound are two different concepts that share much in common. Determining the difference between the two can sometimes be difficult due to the subjective nature of deciding what is or is not music. The goal of this activity is to...

Music can loosely be defined as organized sound. The lesson objectives, understanding sound is a form of energy, understanding pitch, understanding sound traveling through a medium, and being able to separate music from sound, can...

In this thorough lesson, nodes and antinodes are explained and compared to crests and troughs. A "Check Your Understanding," set of questions is included at the end of the lesson with answers.

By the end of this section, you will be able to describe various characteristics associated with a wave and differentiate between transverse and longitudinal waves.