Light & Color

Arbor Scientific is providing physics and physical science teachers with a collection of student lab activities the study of Light and Color. Here you can browse lab activities by topic and get teachers notes, student worksheets and a list of equipment and supplies needed for each activity.

Refraction: Converging Lenses

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Arbor Scientific

Students investigate images formed by converging lenses using the Light Box and Optical Set, and discover the Focal Point.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with refraction, converging lenses, light box, optical set, focal point, lab 41
Index of Refraction

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Arbor Scientific

The semicircular block is ideal for a first quantitative activity on refraction. When placed as in this activity, rays bend only when exiting the block, simplifying observations. Students will measure angles of incidence and refraction, and calculate the index of refraction of Plexiglas.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with light box, optical set, index of refraction, angles of incidence
Law of Reflection of Light Pt. II

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Arbor Scientific

Observe objects through a periscope. Draw ray diagrams to explain image formation. Extend the activity by rotating one of the periscope mirrors and explaining the resulting inverted image.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with reflection, periscope, law of reflection, lab 38
Reflection and Refraction

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Lori Anderson

The Law of Reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Students will use ray tracing to predict the location and image characteristics for flat and curved mirrors. Students will use ray tracing to discover and explain how different types of images are created with plane, concave and convex mirrors

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with refraction, angles of incidence, reflection, mirrors, lab 104
Images Produced by Curved Mirrors

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Arbor Scientific

Students use the Light Box and Optical Set's two different curved mirrors to investigate how light reflects from concave mirrors. Students make predictions and observations, and make generalizations about the focal point of a mirror, depending on its curvature.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with light box, optical set, focal point, curved mirrors, lab 40
Color Addition and Subtraction

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Buzz Putnam

Think red and green make brown? Only with paint and crayons! In color science, those colors of light make yellow. When I demonstrate that with the Color Mixing Spotlights, students discover there's no one answer for what color a strawberry is. The demo doesn't just give them a new way of seeing color, it shows them science as a new way of seeing their world.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with color addition, subtraction, color addition spotlights, Buzz Putnam, color mixing, strawberry
The Fiber Optics Principle

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Dean Baird

Students discover that magic is really science... Students got so fascinated with air to water refraction that they raced ahead to explore other possibilities. One group called me over when they found that when the laser beam hit the water to air boundary at a certain angle, it got trapped. They had discovered the secret of Total Internal Reflection and fiber optics for themselves!

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with internal reflection, fiber optics, lasers, Green Laser
Color Addition

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Dale Freeland

Students use the Light Box and Optical Set to observe the results of combining beams of colored light. Concepts include primary and secondary color addition and complementary colors.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with light box, optical set, color addition, primary, secondary
Reflection & Refraction

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Lori Anderson

One day in my classroom...“My students were amazed by examples of colorful fiber optics but didn't understand how the light goes from one end to the other; even when bent. After testing various angles of laser light through water and air up to 40 degrees, most students assume the light will continue to exit the other side.

This post was posted in Labs, Light & Color and was tagged with refraction, reflection, fiber optics, transparent, trapezoid, laser ray box