Multiverse
Rainbows of Light: The Visible Light Spectrum
Rainbows can teach us about the visible light spectrum. Learners observe multiple items that clearly display a rainbow to develop better connections. The lesson then explains wavelength using a rope to make waves.
Curated OER
Reflection and Refraction
What is a prism? A place for light waves that commit minor refractions! The thorough resource includes three hands-on investigations covering light reflection and refraction; mirrors, lenses, and images; and optical systems. Subject...
American Chemical Society
Isolation of Phytochrome
Why do soybean plants that are planted weeks apart in the spring mature simultaneously in the fall? Four independent activities cover the history of phytochrome research, scientist collaboration, the electromagnetic spectrum, and...
Towson University
The Crucial Concentration
Which sports drink provides the best pick-me-up after the big game or grueling workout? It may not be the one you'd think! Food science is the focus in a surprising lab activity. Pupils use colorimetry to determine the amount of protein,...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollutants can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. The last lesson in a series of 36 introduces pupils to radioactive pollution. They study its sources, both natural and man-made, its...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Wavelength of Light
Describes the characteristics of light, presents two formulas for calculating its wavelength, and provides a table of the different wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Molecular Expressions Microscopy Primer: Light and Color Refraction of Light
Comprehensive and sophisticated overview of light refraction includes an historical overview of the subject and explanations of the mathematics that underpin refractive indexes, the relative index of refraction, Snell's law, and light...
NASA
Nasa: Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum: Visible Light
Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Color Spectrum Chart With Frequencies and Wavelengths
Read about the visible light spectrum and learn the frequencies and wavelengths for each of the primary and secondary colors.
Other
Uni: Astronomy: Formula Light
Learn about light properties through practice with formulas. This resource shows the relationship between the speed of light, its wavelength, and its frequency. A fairly simple, but important relationship.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Wavelength of Visible Light Spectrum
Explains where visible light fits into the electromagnetic spectrum and the wavelengths for the different colors we see.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Color
This site from Georgia State University discusses the location of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Includes the wavelength values for various colors of light within the visible light spectrum.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Dispersion
The phenomenon of light dispersion is explained with a formula and a practice form for calculating Abbe's number.
NASA
Electromagnetic Spectrum: Ultraviolet Waves
Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Though these waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects can see them. The specific wavelength values are given. Uses and applications of these waves are explained.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Versatile Uses of a Spectrophotometer
Explains what spectrophotometry is, the types of spectrophotometers, and what they are used for.
Other
Architectural Acoustics and Lighting: Room Acoustics
This site from Architectural Acoustics and Lighting provides a discussion of various factors affecting the acoustics of a given room. Room dimensions, the wavelength of the sound wave, the physical characteristics of the walls, the...
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Multiple Slit Diffraction Model
Simulation that shows the diffraction of light through single or multiple slits. Simulation allows modification of the number of slits, slit width, slit separation, and the wavelength.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Wave Motion
Two wave graphs depicting a sine wave and relating the various characteristics (wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and period) of a wave to each other. The site includes an interactive JavaScript form in which the visitor enters one...
NASA
Nasa: Space Place: The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Find out how energy, frequency, and wavelength are related in terms of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Mirrors in Imaging
A discussion from Georgia State University of different types of mirrors and the images which they create. Discusses different instruments which use mirrors to produce images.
Johns Hopkins University
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
NASA related site shows the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum. Provides a brief description of the expansive colored spectrum as well as a related link that provides more details.
University of Chicago
University of Chicago: Reflector and Refractor
From the Yerkes Observatory Virtual Tour web site. Compares and contrasts reflecting and refracting telescopes. A link from the page leads to a second page which explains why most modern research telescopes are reflecting telescopes.
Trinity College Dublin
The History of Mathematics: Young
A short sketch of the life and work of Thomas Young (1773-1829 CE). Traces early upbringing and education and his scientific discoveries and contributions.
NASA
Nasa: Mission: Science: Electromagnetic Spectrum: Infrared Waves
Infrared light lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light has a range of wavelengths, just like visible light has wavelengths that range from red light to violet.