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PPT
Glynn County School System

Multi-Wavelength Astronomy

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Take a look at astronomy through the light lens. From radio to gamma, light waves exist in every corner of the universe. An enlightening PowerPoint presentation gives an overview of the different categories of light and then discusses...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Name That Harmonic: Closed-End air Columns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Name That Harmonic: Open-End air Columns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Ever wonder what really goes on inside a clarinet? Show your young scientists the physics of open-end air columns through an easy-to-use interactive. Learners examine the features of standing waves and calculate frequency and length in a...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Name That Harmonic: Strings

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Don't string your class along! Physics scholars discover the fascinating forces behind the music of stringed instruments using an interactive. From a series covering sounds and waves, the interactive asks users to identify nodes and...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Rocking the Boat

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Sometimes it's okay to rock the boat! Science scholars manipulate wave properties using a fun interactive. Part of a larger playlist that dives into waves and sound, the lesson helps users work their way from apprentice to wizard by...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Waves - Case Studies

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What can your class tell about a wave just by looking at it? Using a simulation, physics pupils work through a series of case studies to determine the effects of speed, frequency, and density on waves. Part of a larger playlist on waves...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Wavelength

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Physics class sure can have its ups and downs! The first in a series of seven interactives from the Waves and Sound series introduces young learners to the concept of wavelength. Scholars work through the interactive to discover the...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Understanding Wave Motion - Slinky vs. Snaky: Which Spring is Dominant?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Ride the wave to an understanding of refraction! The first in a series of two inquiry-based lessons challenges learners to create transverse waves with two different types of springs. As their wave hits an object, they observe the change...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Jell-O® Waveguide and Power Loss

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Jell-O® can help model the transmission of light through fiber optic cables. Young scientists use the jiggly dessert to make a waveguide to transmit a laser beam from one point to another. Their models help them learn the function of...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Does Color Have to Do with Cooling?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Study the rate of cooling for objects of different colors. Learners focus on the reflection and absorption of infrared light. Your classes may be surprised to learn objects that heat the slowest also cool the slowest.
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Would You Get a Sunburn on Mars?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What are the best materials for preventing sunburn? Young scholars consider this question as they test materials for the presence of ultraviolet light. They use a string of beads that changes color with different intensities of UV light.
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Is the Sky Purple?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The color of the sky depends on the time of day. Young scholars experiment with scattering different wavelengths of light to recreate the color of the sky. They observe both the longer blue wavelengths and the shorter red and orange...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Can You See Beyond the Rainbow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
There's more to light than ROYGBIV! An enlightening laboratory investigation has learners explore the world of infrared light. When they use goggles that take away visible light, they experience how things look with only infrared light.
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Is Beyond the Rainbow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Help your classes see what they cannot see. Using different eyewear, scholars experience different light spectrums. Learners may be surprised by how the world looks with infrared light, thermal imaging, and ultraviolet light.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Sound Off!

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Time to witness the effects of sound. Learners analyze different materials to determine their abilities to absorb sound waves. They use free software to monitor the amplitude of the waves to verify results.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Spectral Analysis with DVDs and CDs

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Resolution—Not Just for the New Year

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Experiment with optical resolution using an inquiry-based lesson. Young researchers calculate fellow classmates' optical resolutions. They apply the information to understand the inner workings of optical instruments.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Light Waves: Grades 9-12

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Diffraction Demystified

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Study diffraction patterns using CDs and DVDs! Scholars measure the diffraction patterns of a light wave as it hits a CD or DVD. Using the information, they can measure the distance between the tracks. 
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Watching in 3D

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Bring the ocean floor to life! Earth science scholars discover the process of deep sea mapping in the third installment in a series of five lessons about ocean exploration. The teacher's guide includes helpful resources, worksheets, and...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Preschool Races

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
What determines which ball rolls the fastest — the weight, the radius, the material, or something else? Scholars select two balls to race down the inclined plane, determining their material and radius. As they race, the simulation graphs...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Pan Flute

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
How can a pan flute sound one note while we hear a chord? The simulation explores sound waves, vibrations, and harmonics at the molecular level. Scholars control the pipe into which air is being blown, the length of the pipe, and which...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Least Time

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
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...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Stadium Wave

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
If you are at a sports match and the crowd starts two waves that are both headed toward you at the same time, what do you do? The simulation applies the concepts of constructive interference and destructive interference to that very...