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.
Day 1 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Introduce unit
- Briefly discuss the dual nature of light
- Science Reasoning Center: Models of Light
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part a-c
Day 2 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- 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)
- Discuss wave behaviors of light: interference, polarization; demonstrations
- Physics Interactives: Polarization by Reflection as a demonstration
- Pair Practice: Polarization Think Sheet
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part d
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC2 on Polarization
Day 3 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Science Reasoning Center: Electromagnetic Spectrum
Do and post-lab
- Discuss Electromagnetic spectrum; patterns for wavelength, frequency, and energy; discuss visible light spectrum
- Pair Practice: Light Waves and Matter Think Sheet
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Parts a, b, and c
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC1 on Electromagnetic and Visible Light Spectrum
Day 4 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Lab 1: Diluted by Distance
Collect data, discuss results; practice some inverse square law thinking
- Science Reasoning Center: Light Intensity
Homework/Announcements
- Concept Builder: Light Intensity
Day 5 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Review interference, two-point source interference, interference patterns; show Ripple Tank Simulator as a demonstration
- Physics Interactives: Two-Point Source Interference Patterns
Use Student Activity Sheet
- Discuss Path Difference; do selected problems from Path Difference Think Sheet
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 3, Parts a and b
- Two-Point Source Interference Concept Checker
Day 6 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Do selected problems from Path Difference Think Sheet
- Derive Young's Equation; use Mathematical Model Think Sheet
- Discuss meaning of variables y, d, m, and L; use Young's Equation Think Sheet
- Lab 2 - Two-Point Source Analysis
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 3, Parts c and d
- CalcPad: Light Waves 1 on Path Difference
Day 7 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Young's Equation
Review equation, meaning of variables; discuss units (m, cm, nm. µm, Å, etc.); do examples from Young's Equation Think Sheet
- Pair Practice: complete Young's Equation Think Sheet
- Lab 3 - Young's Experiment
Homework/Announcements
- CalcPad: Light Waves 2 on Young's Equation
- Physics Interactives: Young's Experiment (with built-in Task Tracking)
Day 8 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- 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)
- Pair Practice: complete Reflection, Transmission, and Color Think Sheet
- Physics Interactives: RGB Color Addition with Student Activity Sheet
Do and process
- 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
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part d
- Concept Checker: RGB Color Addition
Day 9 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Review Color Addition
- Lab 4: Taking Away From RGB
Do and process; discuss rules of color subtraction; color wheel and color equations
- Pair Practice: Color Addition and Subtraction Think Sheet
- Concept Builder: Color Addition and Subtraction
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC4 on Complementary Colors of Light
Day 10 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- 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
- Pair Practice: Pigments and Paints Think Sheet (Q#1-5)
- Concept Checker: Painting with CMY
- Start Concept Builder: Color Pigment
Homework/Announcements
- Review: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Concept Builder: Color Pigments
Day 11 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- 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
- Pair Practice: Viewed in Another Light Think Sheet
- Concept Checker: Stage Lighting
Homework/Announcements
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC5 on Color Subtraction
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC6 on Primary Pigments
Day 12 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Lab 5: Filtering Away
- Discuss filters; transition to the incident-absorbed-transmitted model; do some examples (Q#6 on Pigments and Paints Think Sheet)
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters
Homework/Announcements
- Concept Builder: Color Filters
Day 13 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Demonstration of colored shadows using RGB Lights; emphasize color subtraction and color addition
- Physics Interactives: Colored Shadows
Have students construct and label a diagram of their observations; do Shadows Think Sheet
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC9 on Shadows
- Review unit
Homework/Announcements
- Prepare for Tomorrow's Test
- Complete all unfinished work