Lights, camera, action! Math educators consider how to improve their instruction by examining a model of the five-practice problem-solving model involving a movie theater. Participants examine cognitive demand in relation to problem...

Students will investigate the properties of light waves. They will learn about the different types of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves, and investigate the phenomena of reflection, refraction, interference, and diffraction.

A video and a short quiz on the properties of light.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Visible light and the different waves that make it up, infrared light and ultraviolet light.

Sun tanning has a bad rap right now. Use a personal ultraviolet monitor to measure the UV index to prevent getting a sunburn. With this science fair project you will create a chart showing the UV ray measurement at different times of the...

Light! How do we see? What makes light? Find out everything you need to know through the Q&As on this site.

Is that right side of your brain yearning to express its artistic side? This is a project that blends art with science. Learn about light and colorful shadows in these experiments where you mix and match various colors of light to create...

How far would you have to travel so that the light of the full sun would provide "daylight" no brighter than twilight on Earth? This project describes a method to verify the inverse square law: how light, sound, electrical signals, and...

Here is a large collection of simple science class activities for understanding the physics of light.

You know how to make new colors by mixing paint or crayons. For example, you get green by mixing yellow and blue, or orange by mixing red and yellow. With paint, blue, yellow, and red are primary colors, which you can use to make other...

Objects that glow in the dark hold a special place in the imagination of both children and adults. The lights go out at night, but these odd things refuse to disappear. Where does the light come from? Do they work in any climate? In this...

This illustrated essay from the NOVA Web site explains why the atomic structure of a diamond slows down light and produces a sparkle more brilliant than from any other colorless substance.

In this engineering science fair project, students will determine which 3-D geometric shapes scatter light the most. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...

In this electronics science fair project, students will investigate how the output of an LED flashlight changes as its temperature increases.

Here is described a simple process to 'put a voice on a sunbeam' and transmit it over a distance. It is a fascinating example of amplitude modulation of light using sound vibrations. It then describes how the modulated light is detected...

Ultraviolet light can damage DNA molecules. If a cell's DNA repair mechanisms can't keep up with the damage, mutations are the result. As harmful mutations accumulate, the cell eventually dies. How much ultraviolet light is too much for...

Light is an example of an electromagnetic wave. Electromagnetic waves can travel through the vacuum of interstellar space. They do not depend on an external medium-unlike a mechanical wave such as a sound wave which must travel through...

Isabella and Amalie are in Copenhagen, and they saw a periscope in the water. Join them, and find out what this is all about. This module discusses how to use a periscope, what light sources are, and how light impacts shadows.

In this biotechnology science fair project, investigate how DNA damage affects growth of yeast that are DNA-repair deficient. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and...

The goal of this project is to measure the effectiveness of different sunscreen products for blocking ultraviolet-A (UVB) and ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight. This project shows you how to use a UV detector to measure rays of light.

An interactive tool where students can create a model of a greenhouse and use a light sensor to measure the amount of light it receives from a lamp at various times of the day. Temperature is also measured. Data is plotted on graphs,...

Have you ever heard the expression "a canary in a coal mine"? In the 1900s and earlier, coal miners brought canaries with them into the mines to act as early warning signals. The canaries were very sensitive to low levels of dangerous...

What is light energy? Here we'll learn about the properties of light and how pigments such as chlorophylls absorb light energy.

Created to teach students of the 21st century, SOPHIA is bringing science experiments straight to your fingertips. Become the commander of your own learning experiences as you take part in this interactive experiment.