Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/light

Beam me up, Bill! Explore how beams of light behave when they strike flat and curved surfaces. Bill bends light using a nifty contraption that streams three beams through a straight and a curved piece of plastic. He also defines and...

Exploratorium Science Snacks are miniature science exhibits and experiments that can be made with common, inexpensive, easily available materials. These electricity snacks represent a set of devices that you can build and experiment with...

A collection of mechanics activities. Many pertain to Newton's laws of motion. Step-by-step directions provided with illustrations. Great for teacher demos or student projects.

An experiment where polarized light is shone into a solution of sugared water, causing each of the colors in white light to change direction in varying amounts.

Learn how to make stained glass window art using the phenomenon of polarized light.

Here is a monumental list of ideas for science fair projects and experiments, organized alphabetically. Every one of them is a link to a full page, with pictures, of information about the idea. This site is a goldmine.

In this experiment, students will learn how to make a battery with a water solution and two types of metal. This is then used to power an LED light. Includes video demonstration.

Demonstrate light bending called diffraction in this activity.

Learn about how the intensity of light is governed by the inverse-square law with this activity. Activity has you experimenting to find that the intensity of light decreases as the inverse square of the distance.

Try this experiment with a partner to investigate the extent of your peripheral eyesight. Includes video demonstration.