Light
Students perform experiments centered on light waves and the way they interact with different objects and media. Through experimentation and data collection, students learn about the relationship between a wave and its medium, and how wavelengths affect the perception of light.
Investigation focus:
- Explore the reciprocal relationship between absorbance and transmittance of light in transparent substances.
- Understand the relationship between the shade or concentration of a color and absorption and transmission of light.
- Students are introduced to a new tool from the Procedural Toolbox, the use and operation of a spectrophotometer.
- Apply the use of the best-fit line tool from the Procedural Toolbox to create and use a concentration curve to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution.
- Introduction to two ways in which light interacts with a medium or object, reflection and refraction.
- Investigate the Law of Reflection.
- Gain experience in measuring angles of incidence and reflection.
- Explore how absorption, transmission and reflection of different wavelengths of light affects the way in which they perceive the color of objects.
- Students will be taught a new tool in their Procedural Toolbox, determination of an absorbance spectra.
- Explore the behavior of light waves as they enter and exit different mediums including acrylic, air, water and oil.
- Learn how to measure angles of incidence and angles of refraction and to use Snells’ Law to calculate the index of refraction of various media.
- Develop a better understand the relationship between the index of refraction and the extent to which light is refracted by a medium.