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.

Students estimate the storage capacity of CDs and DVDs by assessing diffraction patterns of green and red laser beams.

Learners are introduced to the concept of refraction. After making sure they understand the concepts of diffraction and interference, students work collaboratively to explain optical phenomena that cannot be accounted for via these two...

Through two classroom demos, students are introduced to the basic properties of lasers through various mediums. In the Making an Electric Pickle demonstration, students see how cellular tissue is able to conduct electricity, and how this...

How light waves demonstrate their wave nature by reflection, refraction, and diffraction.

The behavior of light waves is introduced and discussed. Also, polarization, color, diffraction, and interference are introduced and discussed thoroughly as supporting evidence of the wave nature of light.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate behaviors of waves, including interference, reflection, refraction, and diffraction.

An indexing page for a physics department site about the wave properties of light that lead to interference.

Students are introduced to different ways of displaying visual spectra, including colored "barcode" spectra, like those produced by a diffraction grating, and line plots displaying intensity versus color, or wavelength. Students learn...

Peter Debye carried out pioneering studies of molecular dipole moments, formulated theories of magnetic cooling and of electrolytic dissociation, and developed an X-ray diffraction technique for use with powdered, rather than...

Learn about the diffraction of light using the wave model and Huygen's principle.

Students will make their own spectroscope, learn how light is bent by a diffraction grating, and explore how various forms of light differ.

This lab is designed to allow students to look at the spectra of a handful of elements when light from a glowing sample of those elements travels through a diffraction grating.

[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...

Rainbows and sunsets are called "atmospheric optics". They can be caused by light being absorbed, reflected, scattered, refracted, or diffracted by particles in the atmosphere. Learn all about different atmospheric optics along with...

This lab is designed to allow students to look at the factors affecting the location of different colors formed by diffraction grating.

This resource presents a cooperative learning activity where students can enhance their knowledge of light diffraction. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.

Acting as a subtopic of the General Chemistry Virtual Textbook's section on Atoms and the Periodic Table, this site discusses wavelength and the uncertainty principle. Information is also provided on de Broglie wavelength and electron...

Kids learn about the behavior of waves in the science of physics including reflection, refraction, diffraction, polarization, absorption, and interference.

A site dedicated to help students prepare for the AP Physics B test. This specific site reviews waves including traveling waves, standing waves, resonance, speed of electromagnetic waves, Doppler shift, Doppler effect, interference,...

You've probably noticed the colorful patterns "reflecting" from the shiny surface of a CD disk. What you are seeing is actually diffraction of white light, and the rainbows of color are diffraction patterns. In this project you'll learn...

A collection of simulations to show the important topics of quantum physics.

Instructional module focusing on the Silicate minerals. Discussion includes the most common minerals on Earth such as quartz, feldspar, mica, amphibole, pyroxene, and olivine. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and links...

In this interactive tutorial students will learn about a few of the instruments used to further our knowledge of the Universe around us.