Light - Visible - 16+
This collection explores visible light, in particular colour, suitable for ages 16+.
About visible light: The visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light. A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths from about 390 to 700 nm. In terms of frequency, this corresponds to a band in the vicinity of 430–770 THz.
Resources in this collection:
- Diffraction of Laser Light: In this short video, from the National STEM Centre and the Institute of Physics, Michael de Podesta explains how a laser can be used to show the diffraction and interference of light. Using a laser pen in the classroom, the wave nature of light is demonstrated as a thin wire is used to generate an easily-seen interference pattern.
- Episode 322: Diffraction Gratings: In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students look at different light sources through diffraction gratings. Using this system, students measure the wavelength of a laser and derive the grating formula.
- Episode 323: Diffraction: In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students observe diffraction using a ripple tank or laser.
- Light: Light is one of the titles in the series of ASE Lab Books that were published in the early 1970s for the Association for Science Education by John Murray. Each title covered one or two topics and brought together the best of the teaching notes and experimental ideas from members of the association that had appeared in the ASE journal, School Science Review.
- Make Your Own Spectrometer: From Solar Spark, this simple activity allows students to make a spectrometer using a card box and a compact disc. The compact disc acts as a diffraction grating and splits the light being observed into its constituent wavelengths. This gives the colours of the rainbow when viewing white light. This type of analysis is applied in fields such as astronomy, to identify elements in distant stars.
