Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Lose a Glass in a Glass
This is an activity that should only be done outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, with adult supervision, as it involves paint thinner. It demonstrates the concept of the index of refraction for different materials, in this case that...
Boston University
Bu: Optics: Geometric Optics
Several short descriptions of demonstrations which illustrate principles of geometric optics (many of which focus upon refraction).
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Why Is the Sky Blue?
Students will learn about refraction and the scattering of sunlight as it enters the atmosphere, which causes the colors in light to separate, giving us blue skies and colorful sunrises and sunsets.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Bending Light
An experiment using a water lens that demonstrates how the eye sees an image. Accompanied by an explanation of what's happening, and a link to an article on refraction.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Blue Sky Red Sunset
An experiment where light is shone through a bottle of water, and then milk added, to see how this affects the path the light takes (with links to articles on reflection and refraction that explain what is happening).
Curated OER
Astro Lab: Refracting Telescopes
Get the facts and historical background information on refracting telescopes, an important astronomical tool. This page has great accompanying photographs, as well as diagrams.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Atmospheric Optics Concepts
This physics department site features an indexing page for a variety of pages pertaining to atmospheric optics. Topics include rainbows, halos, auroras, mirages, star twinkling, sunsets, green flashes, coronas, and more. Excellent...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Diamonds: The Science Behind the Sparkle
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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: When Silicon Talks
In this activity, students tackle this aspect of engineering as they solve problems for precise angles and speeds, and predict data output when samples are altered.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: 3 M Young Scientist Lab: Disappearing Glass
Glass objects seem to disappear when placed in cooking oil.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: 3 M Young Scientist Lab: Gelatin Optic Fibers
Strips of gelatin dessert and a laser pointer demonstrate total internal reflection.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Measuring Sugar Content of a Liquid With a Laser Pointer
Here's a project that shows you how to use a laser pointer and some knowledge of physics to figure out the concentration of sugar dissolved in a liquid.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Geometric Optics
This interactive unit will help students to understand the basics of geometric optics. Learn what happens when light strikes the boundary between two media as well as the difference between a real and virtual image? Also explore the law...
University of St. Andrews (UK)
University of St. Andrews: Christiaan Huygens
This University of St. Andrews site contains biographical information and findings of Christiaan Huygens.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Science, Optics & You: Willebrord Snell
Biography of Willebrord Snell (1580-1626), a Dutch mathematician known best for his work in refractive indices.
Other
Easyphysics: Chapter 10 Light Waves
Learners investigate light waves. Some topics examined are reflection of light, illuminance, and refraction of light. The resource includes example problems with solutions and a chapter quiz.
Healthline Media
Medical News Today: Articles: Eye Health: What Is Astigmatism?
Learn about astigmatism, a type of refractive error where the eye does not bend light properly, thereby causing blurred vision. Also explained are the causes, treatment, and diagnosis of astigmatism.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Science, Optics & You: E Tienne Louis Malus
Biography of Etienne-Louis Malus (1775-1812), a famous French mathematician and physicist, best known for his work in double refraction and in polarization.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Light Rays
This is a quiz covering reflected, refracted, shadow, and camera rays.
Cosmos 4 kids
Cosmos4 Kids: Exploration:telescopes
Learn how telescopes work .. terms like reflection, refraction, different kinds of lens, and more. The brief, to the point text makes this site most suitable for younger researchers.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Light and Optics
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...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Do Glasses Help Us See?
Today, glasses help millions of people with poor vision be able to see clearly. But how? Andrew Bastawrous and Clare Gilbert help unravel the answer by explaining refraction- the ability of a transparent medium, like glass, water, or the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Light Scavengers
In this activity, students examine various materials and investigate how they interact with light. Students use five new vocabulary words (translucent, transparent, opaque, reflection and refraction) to describe how light interacts with...
Math Science Nucleus
Math/science Nucleus: Light Magic
This animation discusses light and the properties of light in a storybook format. The animations cover the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV) along with prisms, light waves, reflection, and refraction.
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