FUN WITH OPTICS
Optics is straight up one of my favourite topics in science. I love the way light bends, reflects, refracts, and of course -- how it creates all the different colours!
Before we get started with some fun projects, let's recap!
Before we get started with some fun projects, let's recap!
Straight Line Propagation of Light
Light may seem to bathe everything in it, but it actually travels a pretty straight path. Think of a car travelling through fog, or a beam of sunshine coming through the trees, and you can see how straight a beam of light is. We count on this straightness when using light forour purposes, such as projecting movies on a movie screen, using a flashlight or high beams in a car.
Due to the directional aspect of light, when light hits an opaque object, it will create a dark area that cannot be illuminated by light; this would be the shadow of the object. Things like a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse would not exist if light did not travel in a straight line.
Due to the directional aspect of light, when light hits an opaque object, it will create a dark area that cannot be illuminated by light; this would be the shadow of the object. Things like a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse would not exist if light did not travel in a straight line.
How straight? Let's look at the laser!!
Reflection of Light
This is an important thing to keep in mind when trying to win a box of donuts: light bounces off surfaces. It's bouncing off of you right now! The angle of incidence will always equal the angle of reflection.
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This bouncing of light is what makes objects visible to us. The light hits an object, some of it gets absorbed, and whatever is reflected to our eye creates an image of that object. The different textures will reflect the light differently, causing it to have a look and feel that is recognizable to you!
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Look at that velvet!
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Let's check out the laser again, to see it bounce off the mirror!
Types of Reflection
There are two types of reflection: specular (when light reflects off smooth surfaces) and diffuse (when light reflects off rough surfaces). A mirror is a type of specular reflection!
Mirrors are pretty amazing. They are useful for personal grooming, for health (dentist mirrors), for safety while driving, to add light to a room, to assist in investigations (one-way mirrors!), as well as traditional periscopes!
Look at the mirror reflections and see the difference between a diffuse reflection and a specular reflection. What do you notice?
When light reflects off a convex mirror, what to you think will happen to the beams?
How about a concave? What will happen?
When light reflects off a convex mirror, what to you think will happen to the beams?
How about a concave? What will happen?
Refraction of Light
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When light passes through one medium, but then goes into another, the light changes its velocity, causing a change in the direction the light was travelling.
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This can cause the light to produce a distortion, creating a phenomenon called Refraction right at the juncture between the two mediums.
You may think reflection is super important, but in reality, refraction is the reason why we have eyeglasses, telescopes, binoculars, microscopes, fiber optics and more.
On a hot day, you can see heat mirages forming under a car. Mirages in a desert or a plain are also caused by athmospheric refraction. Mirages are also called Fata Morgana.
Let's check out each refraction example
and see what the light does!
and see what the light does!
Different refraction lenses
1. Convex lenses
2. Concave lenses
Time for Reflection
No, not that kind of reflection. THIS is the time when you join your teammates and FIGHT for the chance to win a delicious box of donuts, to be enjoyed tomorrow while you work on your projects! Let's all go on a...
MIRROR QUEST!!!
Safety tips:
NO EYE BALL ON LASER. The lasers have been taped low to the ground to ensure you are safe. But you still have to be very careful, as the reflection of the laser is just as bad as the laser itself! Remember laser is light, and it reflects off a mirror almost without loss.
How to play
There are three different targets outside. The lasers have been taped to the right location, and can't be moved.
Teams can spread out and wildly scream and wave arms at each other, trying to get the mirrors to reflect properly and arrive at the desired location.
Please follow order. Teams should attempt to hit target 1 irst, then 2, then 3.
The first team to hit all three targets will be the winning team.
NO EYE BALL ON LASER. The lasers have been taped low to the ground to ensure you are safe. But you still have to be very careful, as the reflection of the laser is just as bad as the laser itself! Remember laser is light, and it reflects off a mirror almost without loss.
How to play
There are three different targets outside. The lasers have been taped to the right location, and can't be moved.
Teams can spread out and wildly scream and wave arms at each other, trying to get the mirrors to reflect properly and arrive at the desired location.
Please follow order. Teams should attempt to hit target 1 irst, then 2, then 3.
The first team to hit all three targets will be the winning team.
May the force be with you!
Let's create a telescope!
Which may or may not work! A usual telescope has a double convex lens and a concave lens. The concave lens ensures the image gets to your eyeball right side up! So God knows what will happen, but that's part of the fun, amirite? AMIRITE??
This dude's video seems pretty easy to follow. Let's try!
This dude's video seems pretty easy to follow. Let's try!
More things to do in Optics:
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1. Explore the box of fun mirrors and the reflections they make; this could easily be a fun project for you, if you are into optics!
2. Create some sort of animation; may be a simple one, like the 12 frame praxinoscope animation strip. 3. SHARKS WITH LASER BEAMS!!!!! |
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