Interactive

Bending Light

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Different colors of the spectrum travel at different speeds through media, causing them to refract at different angles—which allows humans to see their colors. Through a simulation, pupils see how air, water, and other media bend light. They explore indices of refraction, play with prisms, change light sources, and create rainbows.  

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CCSS: Adaptable
NGSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Ask learners to make predictions about where the light will bend with each substance, the angle measurements between substances, and the colors they will see
  • Discuss the differences between refraction and reflection and objects that do both
Classroom Considerations
  • Assumes pupils have some knowledge about the visible spectrum and about wavelengths
Pros
  • Includes an introduction, a simulation about prisms, and a simulation using more tools
  • Available in a plethora of different languages
Cons
  • None
Common Core
NGSS