Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Least Time InteractiveLeast Time Interactive
Publisher
CK-12 Foundation
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
9th - 12th
Subjects
Science
1 more...
Resource Type
Interactives
Audiences
For Teacher Use
1 more...
Duration
30 mins
Instructional Strategy
Simulation
Technology
Video
Internet Access
Accessibility
Larger Text
1 more...
Year
2014
Usage Permissions
Creative Commons
BY-NC: 3.0
cc
Interactive

Least Time

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Least Time interactive also includes:
  • Simulations Instructor Tutorial
  • Least Time—Resources
  • Least Time Walkthrough Video
  • Join to access all included materials

What is the fastest way to get from point A to point B if you are going through two different mediums, such as air then water? Scholars explore the way light travels through air, water, acrylic, glass, and diamond as they answer this question. Graphs display the travel time and angles of refraction for each combination tested.

3 Views 2 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

refraction, light refraction, the speed of light, electromagnetic waves, angle of incidence, angle of refraction

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Use a laser light and blocks of transparent material (water, glass, acrylic) to observe this in person

Classroom Considerations

  • Assumes prior knowledge of sine waves, angles, refraction, and interpreting graphs
  • Must sign up for a free CK-12 account to access the interactive

Pros

  • Includes answers to some of the worksheet questions
  • Provides a walk-through video examining the science behind the simulation

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Thermal Expansion of Water: Rise of Sea Level

US Department of Energy
Using bunsen burners, Erlenmeyer flasks, thermometers, hollow glass tubes, stoppers, and rulers, learners experiment with and measure how water expands when heated. The activity connects the expansion of water when heated to global...
9th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Light Waves: Grades 9-12

Cornell University
Explore the behavior of light waves with a lab activity. Scholars build new vocabulary through experimentation and observation. Using different mediums, they model reflection, refraction, transmission, diffusion, and scattering of light.
9th - 12th Science
PPT

Light

Urbana School District
You matter, unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light ... then you energy. Presentation covers the behavior of light as both a wave and a particle, light versus sound, space travel, why objects have colors, depth perception,...
11th - Higher Ed Science
Activity

Refraction of Light

It's About Time
Don't shine like a diamond, refract light like a diamond. Young scientists use an acrylic block and a laser light to observe refraction. Advanced scholars figure the sine of the angles of reflection and incidence as well as mastering...
7th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

A Critical Lab

Physics Classroom
Physics lab groups finagle with laser lights to determine the critical angle of refraction for both water and Lucite. Because there are no detailed steps or an answer key for this enlightening exercise, an inexperienced physics...
9th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

The Speed of Light in Glass

MinutePhysics
What happens to the speed of light as it goes through a glass door? Light travels slower through glass than through air, but does the speed of light change or is it just our perception? The short video explains the speed of light as it...
2 mins 9th - Higher Ed Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Bending Light

University of Colorado
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
9th - 10th Science
Activity

A Splash of Color - Is Pure Water Colorless?

Exploratorium
What makes the ocean blue but a glass of ocean water nearly colorless? Investigators prepare tubes of water to examine the color of water. Scholars discover the relationship between light absorption, color variations, and water depth as...
6th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

How Do Glasses Help Us See?

TED-Ed
How do glasses help us see? Glasses correct refractive errors. A simple answer for a complex process that is detailed in a short video.
4 mins 6th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

The Effects of Over Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation on the Growth of Plants and Bacteria

Curated OER
Students investigate the effects of UV light and ozone on plant and bacteria growth. In this ultraviolet light and ozone lesson plan, students grow bean and mustard greens to study the effects of UV light and ozone on the plant growth....
9th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use