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Light Waves and Color

The lesson plans below include links to the specific resources on our website.

Teacher Guides for labs can be found here.


 
Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs
 
 
 

Day 1 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Introduce unit
  2. Briefly discuss the dual nature of light
  3. Science Reasoning Center: Models of Light
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part a-c


 

Day 2 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Physics Interactives: The Photoelectric Effect with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and post-lab, emphasizing the evidence for light behaving as a particle (the rest of the unit focuses on light as a wave)
  2. Discuss wave behaviors of light: interference, polarization; demonstrations
  3. Physics Interactives: Polarization by Reflection as a demonstration
  4. Pair Practice: Polarization Think Sheet
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part d
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC2 on Polarization


 

Day 3 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Science Reasoning Center: Electromagnetic Spectrum
    Do and post-lab
  2. Discuss Electromagnetic spectrum; patterns for wavelength, frequency, and energy; discuss visible light spectrum
  3. Pair Practice: Light Waves and Matter Think Sheet
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Parts a, b, and c
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC1 on Electromagnetic and Visible Light Spectrum


 

Day 4 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 1: Diluted by Distance
    Collect data, discuss results; practice some inverse square law thinking
  2. Science Reasoning Center: Light Intensity
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Concept Builder: Light Intensity


 

Day 5 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Review interference, two-point source interference, interference patterns; show Ripple Tank Simulator as a demonstration
  2. Physics Interactives: Two-Point Source Interference Patterns
    Use Student Activity Sheet 
  3. Discuss Path Difference; do selected problems from Two Point Source Interference Problems (Honors) Think Sheet
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 3, Parts a and b
  2. Two-Point Source Interference Concept Checker


 

Day 6 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Do selected problems from Two Point Source Interference Problems (Honors) Think Sheet
  2. Derive Young's Equation; use Mathematical Model for Two-Point Source Interference Patterns (Honors) Think Sheet
  3. Discuss meaning of variables y, d, m, and L; use Young's Equation (Honors) Think Sheet
  4. Lab 2 - Two-Point Source Analysis
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 3, Parts c and d
  2. CalcPad: Light Waves 1 on Path Difference


 

Day 7 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Young's Equation
    Review equation, meaning of variables; discuss units (m, cm, nm. µm, Å, etc.); do examples from Young's Equation (Honors) Think Sheet
  2. Pair Practice: complete Young's Equation Think Sheet
  3. Lab 3 - Young's Experiment
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. CalcPad: Light Waves 2 on Young's Equation
  2. Physics Interactives: Young's Experiment (with built-in Task Tracking)


 

Day 8 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Introduce Color
    Discuss the light wavelengths and color, ROYGBIV; the eye (retina, cones, etc.); incident-absorbed-reflected model; use Reflection, Transmission, and Color (selected Qs)
  2. Pair Practice: complete Reflection, Transmission, and Color Think Sheet
  3. Physics Interactives: RGB Color Addition with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process
  4. Discuss primary colors of light; color wheel; complementary colors; color subtraction; use of incident-absorbed-reflected model to explain the colors we see
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part d
  2. Concept Checker: RGB Color Addition


 

Day 9 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Review Color Addition
  2. Lab 4: Taking Away From RGB
    Do and process; discuss rules of color subtraction; color wheel and color equations
  3. Pair Practice: Color Addition and Subtraction Think Sheet
  4. Concept Builder: Color Addition and Subtraction
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC4 on Complementary Colors of Light


 

Day 10 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Physics Interactives: Painting with CMY with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process; discuss what do pigments do? Do some examples with an incident-absorbed-reflected diagram
  2. Pair Practice: Pigments and Paints Think Sheet (Q#1-5)
  3. Concept Checker: Painting with CMY
  4. Start Concept Builder: Color Pigment
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Review: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Concept Builder: Color Pigments


 

Day 11 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Physics Interactives: Stage Lighting with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process; discuss what happens when the incident light isn't white? Do some examples with an incident-absorbed-reflected diagram; selected Qs from Viewed in Another Light Think Sheet
  2. Pair Practice: Viewed in Another Light Think Sheet
  3. Concept Checker: Stage Lighting

Homework/Announcements
  1. Minds On Physics: Mission LC5 on Color Subtraction
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC6 on Primary Pigments


 

Day 12 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 5: Filtering Away
  2. Discuss filters; transition to the incident-absorbed-transmitted model; do some examples (Q#6 on Pigments and Paints Think Sheet)
  3. Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Concept Builder: Color Filters


 

Day 13 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Demonstration of colored shadows using RGB Lights; emphasize color subtraction and color addition
  2. Physics Interactives: Colored Shadows
    Have students construct and label a diagram of their observations; do Shadows Think Sheet
  3. Minds On Physics: Mission LC9 on Shadows
  4. Review unit
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Prepare for Tomorrow's Test
  2. Complete all unfinished work












 
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