Concave lenses

An introduction to Concave Lenses. Created by Sal Khan.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Sal Khan

Convex lenses

An introduction to Convex Lenses. Created by Sal Khan.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Sal Khan

Diffraction

In this optics activity, demonstrate diffraction using a candle or a small bright flashlight bulb and a slide made with two pencils. Learners will observe the diffraction pattern and learn that light has wavelike properties.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Geometric Optics

How does a lens form an image? See how light rays are refracted by a lens. Watch how the image changes when you adjust the focal length of the lens, move the object, move the lens, or move the screen.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: Danielle Harlow, Kathy Perkins, Michael Dubson, Mindy Gratny

Hand Lens Introduction

In this Exploration Routine, students learn how to most effectively use their hand lenses. They practice finding the “sweet spot” – the distance to hold the lens between eye and object so the object comes into focus. Without this introduction, students may become frustrated or distracted by hand lenses because they don’t understand how to use them. With this quick activity, students develop a healthy fascination with this transformational tool and feel empowered to use it like a scientist. This activity is also an opportunity to invite your students into inquiry. By modeling how to use a lens, how to say observations out loud, and by encouraging students to check things out and share discoveries, you can begin to set a tone of collaborative inquiry for your group.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Lasers

Create a laser by pumping the chamber with a photon beam. Manage the energy states of the laser's atoms to control its output.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: Carl Wieman, Danielle Harlow, Kathy Perkins, Ron LeMaster, Sam McKagan

Helping Students Discover Total Internal Reflection

Students learn the basic relationship of Snell's Law, practice applying it to a situation, then are given another situation where it "doesn't work."??? This situation turns out to be one in which total internal reflection occurs. Students are then shown what happens with classroom apparatus.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Simulation

Author: Kathleen Harper

Color Vision

Make a whole rainbow by mixing red, green, and blue light. Change the wavelength of a monochromatic beam or filter white light. View the light as a solid beam, or see the individual photons.

Material Type: Simulation

Authors: Carl Wieman, Chris Malley, Danielle Harlow, Kathy Perkins, Ron LeMaster, Wendy Adams

Sensory Perception

Different types of sensory systems with their functional modalities will be presented. The biological bases for how these functions are generated and modified will then be described. As vision is the principal means of perception, we will focus in this course most on visual processing. Scientific data will be integrated into the lectures, such that students develop critical skills in analyzing data and proposing hypotheses.

Material Type: Syllabus

Author: Rodriguez-Contreras, Adrian