Unit Plan
Learn AP Physics

Learn Ap Physics: Physics B: Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
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,...
Article
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: What Is Scattering of Light?

For Students 2nd - 8th
Do you know why the sky is blue? Article defines scattering and how it works. Explains the difference between the scattering of light and reflection or refraction.
Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Total Internal Reflection

For Students 9th - 10th
An investigation into the total internal reflection of light, using a laser pointer. Accompanied by an explanation of what's happening, a discussion of Snell's Law, and links to additional information.
Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Light Rays

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a quiz covering reflected, refracted, shadow, and camera rays.
Handout
University of Maryland

Optics Highlights: The Telescope

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of an anecdotal history of optics and the study of light. Extremely thorough treatment of the invention of the telescope. Includes a short biographical sketch and discusses the work of Isaac Newton which focuses on his contribution...
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Disappearing Glass Rods

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, you will make a glass object disappear by eliminating the reflection from and the refraction by the glass object.
Handout
Cosmos 4 kids

Cosmos4 Kids: Exploration:telescopes

For Students 3rd - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

Iris: Determining Shallow Earth Structure

For Students 9th - 10th
Extend young scholars' learning of fundamental physics concepts (reflection, refraction and transmission of energy) through a real-world application.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Behavior of Incident Light

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University is an indexing page for several other pages on the topic of reflection. Topics are treated in an understandable manner and utilize meaningful graphics.
Handout
Oklahoma Mesonet

Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Overview of Radiation

For Students 9th - 10th
This site details what radiation is, the physics of radiation, and radiative transfer as it occurs in nature. Content explores the electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, properties of radiation, and solar radiation.
Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Two Lenses in One

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Investigate the behavior of a water filled vial, and discover why it acts like a magnifier. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what causes light rays to change direction.
Handout
Jewelry Central

Jewelry Central: Diamond

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses in detail the grading of diamonds, as well as briefly discussing their structure, physical properties, and historical background. Accompanied by clear illustrations.
Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Exploring the Science of Light: Classroom Activities

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiments and activities for investigating the science of light, as well as in-depth explanations of some of the light principles.
Interactive
Pennsylvania State University

Kettering University: Vibration & Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A short tutorial providing general information about waves, their categories, properties and behaviors. Includes several animations and some practice questions with answers.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Wave

For Students 9th - 10th
An in-depth encyclopedia article from Wikipedia on waves gives a definition for what a wave is. Other content in the article includes a list of examples and characteristics of waves, information about the difference between transverse...
Website
University of Maryland

Optics Highlights: Optics, Electromagnetic Waves, Quanta

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of an anecdotal history on optics and the study of light. Extremely thorough treatment of the scientific evidence which led scientists to believe in the particle nature of light. Includes a short biographical sketch and discusses...
Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Light

For Teachers 4th - 6th
In this activity, learners actually find the angles of reflection and incidence.
Handout
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Lesson 3: Concave Mirrors

For Students 9th - 10th
Lesson 3 of this tutorial on refraction is on concave mirrors. Content that is covered includes the anatomy of curved mirrors, reflection of light and image formation, ray diagrams, image characteristics for concave mirrors, plus more.
Website
Other

Meade Instruments Corporation: How Telescopes Work

For Students 9th - 10th
This page explains in fairly simple terms the basics of telescopes. It includes information on the various types of telescopes and the factors people use to select the correct telescope for them. Meade is a leading telescope manufacturer.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Through nine lessons, students are introduced to a range of energy types--electrical, light, sound and thermal-as well as the renewable energy sources of wind, hydro (water) and solar power. Subjects range from understanding that the...
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Physics for Kids: Wave Behavior

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the behavior of waves in the science of physics including reflection, refraction, diffraction, polarization, absorption, and interference.
Activity
My Science Site

My Science Site: The Light for Sight [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource offers a hands-on activity for science teachers to teach about the eye and it's ability to see images. Also discusses refraction and reflection. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
Handout
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Science World: Fresnel, Augustin

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from ScienceWorld provides a short biographical sketch of Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827 CE) and describes his most notable scientific discoveries and contributions. Links are provided throughout for additional information.
Article
Other

Lighthouses: Lighting the Lights

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of the early lights used in lighthouses and how these lights evolved into what they are today. Explains the contributions of Fresnel to the development of these lights; discusses the Fresnel orders.

Other popular searches