Unit 1: Exploring the Nature of Light Phenomena

Table of Content

I. Introduction

II. Identifying Student Resources

A. Learning about ways to foster science learning

Question 1.1 What have you learned about light at some time in your life, inside or outside of school, during an experience when you enjoyed the learning process?

1. An example of student work identifying resources for science learning

B. Documenting initial ideas about light phenomena

Question 1.2 What do you already know about how you see a basketball?

III. Developing Central Ideas Based on Evidence

A. Documenting your explorations

B. Exploring the nature of light phenomena

Question 1.3 What happens when light from a source shines on a screen?

Question 1.4 What happens when you place a barrier between a lamp and a screen?

Question 1.5 How does light seem to travel from a source to a screen?

Question 1.6 How many shadows can you see when looking at a light source, barrier and screen?

Question 1.7 What can you find out about light and shadows with a lamp, barrier, and screen?

1. Example of student work summarizing a series of explorations of light phenomena

Question 1.8 What happens when exploring light and shadows with a friend or family member

2. Examples of students’ explorations of light and shadows with friends and/or family members

IV. Using Central Ideas to Develop an Explanation for Intriguing Phenomena

A. Exploring pinhole phenomena

Question 1.9 What happens when light passes through a tiny pinhole and shines on a screen?

1. Example of student work about exploring pinhole phenomena

B. Explaining pinhole phenomena

Question 1.10 Why are you seeing what you are seeing when looking at a bright bulb through a pinhole camera in a dark room?

1. Student’s example explanation of pinhole phenomena

2. Some nuances in representing and explaining pinhole phenomena

C. Exploring a critical issue

Question 1.11 How does someone see this projection on the screen?

1. Example of student work about how one sees the projection on the screen

D. Exploring variables affecting pinhole phenomena

Question 1.12 What variables affect what one is seeing on the screen?

1. Example of student work about variables that affect pinhole phenomena

E. Exploring pinhole phenomena with friends and/or family members

Question 1.13 What happens when exploring pinhole phenomena with a friend or family member?

1. Examples of student explorations of pinhole phenomena with friends and/or family members

V. Developing Mathematical Representations of Pinhole Phenomena

A. Representing pinhole phenomena geometrically

Question 1.14 How can you describe pinhole phenomena geometrically?

1. Example of student work representing pinhole phenomena geometrically

2. Some nuances in representing pinhole phenomena geometrically

B. Representing pinhole phenomena algebraically

Question 1.15 How can you represent pinhole phenomena algebraically?

1. Example of student work representing pinhole phenomena algebraically

2. Nuances in representing pinhole phenomena algebraically

VI. Using Mathematical Representations to Estimate an Interesting Quantity

A. Using pinhole phenomena to estimate the diameter of the Sun

Question 1.16 How can you use pinhole phenomena to estimate the diameter of the Sun?

1. Example of student work in estimating the diameter of the Sun

2. Some nuances in using mathematical representations of pinhole phenomena

3. Using pinhole phenomena to estimate the Sun’s diameter with friends and/or family members

Question 1.17 What happens when estimating the diameter of the Sun with a friend or family member?

4. Some thoughts about the nature of science in this context

VII. Developing Additional Central Ideas Based on Evidence

A. Exploring reflection phenomena

Question 1.18 What happens when light shines upon a smooth surface?

Question 1.19 What happens when light shines on a rough surface?

1. Example of student work about reflection phenomena

2. Some nuances in explaining reflection phenomena

Question 1.20 How well do different materials reflect light?

3. Example of student work about the property of reflectivity

4. Some nuances about exploring the property of reflectivity

B. Exploring refraction phenomena

Question 1.21 What happens when light travels from one medium into another medium, such as from air into water or from water into air?

1. Example of student work about exploring refraction phenomena

2. Nuances about exploring refraction phenomena

Question 1.22 What happens when exploring refraction with friends or family members?

3. Exploring refraction phenomena with a friend and/or family member

4. Thoughts about the nature of science exemplified by these explorations

C. Exploring dispersion phenomena

Question 1.23 What happens when light from the Sun passes from air into a prism or water droplet?

1. Example of student work about exploring dispersion phenomena

2. Nuances about exploring dispersion phenomena

VIII. Using Additional Central Ideas about Light to Explain an Intriguing Phenomenon

Question 1.24 How are rainbows formed?

1. Example of student work explaining rainbows

2. Nuances in using centrall ideas about reflection, refraction, and dispersion to explain rainbows

IX. Historical and Current Perspectives on the Nature of Light

1. Historical interpretations of the spectrum of colors dispersed by a prism

X. Making Connections to Educational Policies

Question 1.25 What are the current standards for teaching science at various grade levels in your community?

A. Learning about the US Next Generation Science Standards: Science and engineering practices

1. Example of student work about relevant educational policies

B. Reflecting upon this exploration of light phenomena

C. Making connections to NGSS understandings about the nature of science

XI. Exploring Physical Phenomena: Summary of Equipment and Supplies for Unit 1

Figures

• FIG. 1.1 A small group’s drawings of enjoyable experiences learning about light.
• FIG. 1.2 List of ways to foster science learning identified by physics students.
• FIG. 1.3a Front of physics notebook page with explanations.
• FIG. 1.3b Back of physics notebook page with explanations.
• FIG. 1.4 Physics notebook page template (front and back).
• FIG. 1.5 Predict what you will see when turning on a clear light bulb near a screen.
• FIG. 1.6 Predict what you will see when placing a barrier in front of the screen.
• FIG. 1.7 A straight stick can provide a physical model for how light travels.
• FIG. 1.8 Two kinds of shadows are formed when a barrier is placed between light and screen.
• FIG. 1.9 Table summarizing a student’s explorations of light and shadows in class and at home.
• FIG. 1.10 Child’s drawing of tree with sun and flowers.
• FIG. 1.11 Looking at a light bulb through a pinhole camera.
• FIG. 1.12 What one sees when looking at a light bulb through a pinhole camera.
• FIG. 1.13 Student’s sketch of exploring pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.14 Student’s ray diagram representing the explanation of pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.15 Ray diagram for pinhole camera including light getting to viewer’s eyes.
• FIG. 1.16 Student’s table of variables in exploring pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.14 (repeated) Student’s ray diagram representing explanation of pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.17 Stylized ray diagram representing pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.18 Triangles ACB and FCE.
• FIG. 1.19 Student’s ray diagram showing corresponding congruent angles.
• FIG. 1.20 Ray diagram representing pinhole phenomena with labeled vertices.
• FIG. 1.21 Using pinhole phenomena to estimate the diameter of the Sun.
• FIG. 1.22 Sketch of estimating the sun’s diameter with pinhole phenomena.
• FIG. 1.23 Ray diagram and mathematics used to estimate the diameter of the Sun.
• FIG. 1.24 Student’s report of the status of variables in estimated of the diameter of the Sun.
• FIG. 1.25 Ray diagram representing pinhole phenomena with an object very far away.
• FIG. 1.26 Who can see the light from the flashlight in the mirror?
• FIG. 1.27 Student’s entry about reflection in table 1.1.
• FIG. 1.28 Angles defined with respect to a normal line rather than to the mirror.
• FIG. 1.29 Light rays reflecting in different directions from bumps in a rough surface.
• FIG. 1.30 A ball rebounding from a surface.
• FIG. 1.31 Using a light probe connected to a computer to compare the reflectivity of various materials.
• FIG. 1.32 Student graph from exploring reflectivity of various materials.
• FIG. 1.33 An observer’s eye is just below the point where the person can see the dot in the cup.
• FIG. 1.34 Pencil appearing bent in a glass of water.
• FIG. 1.35 Student’s entry in a table about explorations of light phenomena, including refraction.
• FIG. 1.36 Diagram of the dot in a cup with and without water as seen by an observer.
• FIG. 1.37 Light rays bouncing in many directions off the real dot in the water.
• FIG. 1.38 Dashed line representing a ruler modeling the apparent straight path that light rays are traveling from the apparent dot to the eye.
• FIG. 1.39 Dashed and solid lines representing apparent and actual paths for light rays traveling from the apparent and real dots to the eye.
• FIG. 1.40 Ray of light bouncing off the tip of pencil and bending at the surface on way to eye.
• FIG. 1.41 Where should you aim when spear fishing?
• FIG. 1.42 Student’s entry in a table about exploring dispersion phenomena.
• FIG. 1.43 Dispersion of white light into its spectrum of colors.
• FIG. 1.44 Sun, person, cloud, and rain when a person is seeing a rainbow.
• FIG. 1.45 Ray diagram for two raindrops and person seeing a rainbow.
• FIG. 1.46 White light ray from the sun refracts as it enters a raindrop.
• FIG. 1.47 Light ray of a particular color is reflected at the smooth inner surface of the raindrop.
• FIG. 1.48 Light ray of a particular color is refracted again as it moves from water to air.
• FIG. 1.49 Red and violet rays as seen from different drops.
• FIG. 1.50 Seeing different colors from different raindrops.
• FIG. 1.51 Excerpt from Newton (1671/72) showing white light (SF) dispersed by prism (ABC) into rays that are converged by lens (mn) back into white light on a piece of paper (HI) at Q (p. 3086).
• FIG. 1.52 Example of waves formed by rain falling in a puddle of water.
• FIG. 1.53 Primary colors of the spectrum of light from the Sun as represented by waves with different wavelengths.
• FIG. 1.54 Wave diagram showing wave length and amplitude.
• FIG. 1.55 Student’s response indicating use of science and engineering practices in this unit.

 

Tables

• TABLE 1.1 Explorations of light phenomena
• TABLE 1.1 Explorations of light phenomena (continued)
• TABLE 1.2 Variables in exploration of pinhole phenomena
• TABLE 1.1 Explorations of light phenomena (continued)
• TABLE 1.1 Explorations of light phenomena (continued)
• TABLE 1.1 Explorations of light phenomena (continued)
• TABLE 1.4 Science and engineering practices (NGSS Lead States, 2013)