LIGHT ENERGY LAB

STATION 1: BENDING LIGHT

Station 1: Bending Light

Materials:

• 1 clear plastic bowl (deep enough to show refraction)         

• 1 plastic ruler             

• water

Step 1: Fill the bowl half full with water. Make sure the bowl is deep enough to demonstrate refraction.

Step 2: Place the ruler  straight up in the water and slowly lower it horizontally.

Step 3: Record your observations.

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What's happening?

The ruler appears to be bent at the surface between the water and the air. As the ruler approaches horizontal, the bend appears to increase. This is because when light travels across the border of two transparent media (such as air, glass, Lucite, etc.), the path of light bends. This phenomenon is called refraction.

STATION 2: LENS AND LIGHT

Materials:

• magnifying glass

• paper with words or pictures on it

Step 1: Examine the pictures and words through the magnifying glass and hold it at different angles and distances from the paper.

Step 2: Record your observations

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What's happening?

The images flip when you hold the magnifying glass at a certain distance. This is because the image converges at a focal point. When the image diverges beyond this point, its orientation is flipped.

STATION 3: PRISM RAINBOWS

Materials:

• 1-5 prisms

• 1 light source

• Visible Light Spectrum

• Dispersion angle through a prism

Step 1: Shine light through the prism to create a rainbow.

Step 2: Record your observations

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What's happening?

The shorter the wavelength, the more that light is bent or refracted by the prism. In a similar situation, light passing through water can create a rainbow.