Physics Classroom
The L.O.S.T. Art of Image Description - Curved Mirrors
We see curved mirrors every day in spoons, rear-view mirrors, stores as a safety measure, make-up mirrors, and in novelty stores. Scholars explore the changes to an image based on the curve of the mirror, the location of the image, and...
Curated OER
Bubble and Boyle
Even middle schoolers still enjoy experimenting with bubbles! They execute a series of experiments enabling them to distinguish between convex and concave surfaces, explore the properties of buoyancy, surface tension, and density,...
College Board
2017 AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based Free-Response Questions
In 2017, more than 15,000 scholars earned college credit based on their AP Physics 2 exam covering lenses, energy, and more. The College Board released the free-response questions, sample answers, and scoring guidelines from that exact...
Cornell University
Beam Focusing Using Lenses
Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...
Cornell University
Building a Compound Light Microscope
What better way to learn how to use a microscope than building your own? A lab investigation has scholars use lenses from magnifying glasses and sheets of cork to design their own compound microscopes. They calculate focal length...
CK-12 Foundation
Polygon Classification
Polly want a polygon? Young mathematicians sort shapes using an interactive. They classify the shapes as convex polygons, concave polygons, or not polygons.
CK-12 Foundation
Cassegrain Telescope
How does a telescope magnify images? Learners first watch a tutorial explaining the basic construction of a telescope. Then they interact with a simulation that allows for changes in the location and diameter of the reflecting mirrors....
CK-12 Foundation
Contact Lens
How do contact lenses work? The simulation allows young scientists to explore focal length and lens type to see how and why contact lenses work. Pupils control the focal length for an eye and a lens, the type of lens, and the distance...
CK-12 Foundation
Magnifying Glass
How can a magnifying glass or reading glasses make things appear larger? Scholars simulate moving a lens closer or farther from an object to observe the resulting image. They also alter the lens focal length. The simulation shows the...
Virginia Department of Education
Angles in Polygons
Polygons — it's all about the angles. Groups work with dynamic geometry software to find the sum of the measures of the angles of various polygons. After finding the information for several polygons, the groups generate a formula that...
Bowels Physics
Light, Reflection, and Mirrors
Explore the connection of light, reflection, and mirrors. A comprehensive lesson introduces the basics of light in relation to reflection and mirrors. After an explanation of the vocabulary, the presentation shows how to create ray...
Urbana School District
Optics
Don't worry, optics is a light topic! The presentation covers reflection, refraction, fiber optics, mirages, prisms, rainbows, dispersion, mirrors, lenses, telescopes, diffraction, the human eye, and much, much more. Presentation is...
Curated OER
Concave Mirrors
Study concave and convex mirrors with an in-depth slideshow presentation. Slides contain term definitions as well as labeled diagrams.
Michigan Technological University
Giant Mirrors
Did you know some retailers use curved mirrors in their fitting rooms to make customers look thinner? Pupils view themselves in convex and concave mirrors to understand the difference. The resource includes big ideas for multiple age...
It's About Time
Curved Mirrors
Discover concave and convex mirrors using a laser light. Scholars experiment with real and virtual images before reading a handout and completing homework questions. Included extensions greatly benefit learners, so take...
Jefferson Lab
Optics: Mirrors and Lenses
Did you see that or did I imagine it? Optical illusions are often created with mirrors and lenses, and here is a presentation that covers many different types of mirrors and lenses and how they work. Flat, concave, and convex mirrors, as...
Curated OER
Light and Geometric Optics
It's time to see the light with a unit that focuses on light and geometric optics, including concave and convex mirrors. A variety of experiments, worksheets, and online activities are included.
Curated OER
Light
All aspects of the path of light are included in a great summary. Internal reflection and the angles of paths in different materials are explained and the behavior of visible light through lenses and the effect on focal points are...
Curated OER
Reflection and Mirrors
In this reflection worksheet, learners will review the law of reflection and label a diagram with its angle of incidence and angle of reflection. Then students will compare different mirror surfaces as convex or concave. This worksheet...
Curated OER
Bubble and Boyle
Middle-schoolers still enjoy playing with bubbles! In this series of eight laboratory activities, science learners explore convex and concave surfaces, angles, gas laws, buoyancy, density and more!
Mr. E. Science
Light
Where does bad light end up? In a prism! The presentation covers light, mirrors, lenses, and the structure of the eye. It also provides explanations of reflection, refraction, concave and convex mirrors and lenses, and a comparison of...
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.
Curated OER
Spherical Mirrors
Learners view images in a spherical mirror and interpret the path of light. For this physics lesson, students view a large spherical mirror demonstrated by the instructor. They use shiny serving spoons to investigate the path of...
Curated OER
Polygons
In this polygons worksheet, 10th graders solve 18 various types of problems related to different forms of polygons. First, they state the number of sides for each convex polygon and then, use the polygon shown to respond to each of 6...