Teacher’s Guide
Thrilling
Experiments
Light
Grades 5-9
LITV
CREDITS
Program Production
S u n b u r s t Vi s u a l M e d i a
Te a c h e r ’s G u i d e
Rose Bulau, M.Ed.
Heather Nelson
Print Material Design
Leigh A. Shinn
© 2004 Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Hawthorne, NY 10532
Approximate running time: 23 minutes
Thrilling Experiments: Light
Table of
Contents
Guide Information ....................................05
Fast Facts..................................................07
Before Viewing Activities ..........................08
During Viewing Activities ..........................12
After Viewing Activities ............................16
After Viewing Quizzes ..............................20
Additional Resources ................................21
Answer Keys ............................................23
Script........................................................30
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
About This Guide
Guide
Information
Providing students with visual media is an excellent way to take them out of the
classroom and into the real world. Our programs offer real-world footage, dynamic graphics,
engaging dramatizations, and first-person testimonials that keep students interested and help
them visualize difficult concepts. More importantly, they reinforce critical learning objectives
shaped by state and national educational standards. However, the learning doesn’t begin and
end when the program does. You can make the learning experience even more effective by
using the materials provided in this Teacher’s Guide.
This guide is divided into the following sections:
• Fast Facts are designed to give your students a quick overview of the
information presented within the video.
• Before Viewing Activities help identify what students already know
about the subject, what they are curious about, and what they hope to learn.
• During Viewing Activities may be used during viewing to enhance
students’ understanding of the video.
• After Viewing Activities help students summarize and draw conclusions
from the information that was presented.
• After Viewing Quizzes test students’ retention of the information presented
in the program and activity sheets.
• Additional Resources are designed to help you extend the information
presented in the program into other areas of your curriculum.
• Answer Keys are provided for relevant activities or reproducible pages.
• Script content is provided in an unabridged version for future reference.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
5
Program Overview
Guide
Information
Thrilling Experiments: Light focuses on the key principles of light. The importance of light is
explored, as well as its uses. Types of light, properties of light, and concepts related to
color are investigated. Appropriate photos, graphics, and illustrations enhance each
experiment as well as live action demonstrations.
Viewing Objectives
After viewing the program and utilizing the activities provided in the Teacher’s Guide,
students will be able to:
• Describe the properties of light
• Describe types of light
• Describe uses of light
• Summarize how light is produced
• Understand vocabluary related to light
6
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Light Fast Facts
Fast Facts
• Reflection gives us the colors we see.
•
•
•
•
•
Light is a form of energy that travels through space in waves.
The atom is the source of light.
Photons are created by electron movement.
Photons create light waves.
The type of light produced is determined by the amount of energy produced
by the photons.
• The two types of light are natural and artificial.
• Natural light occurs when an object is luminous, producing its own light.
• Artificial light is man-made.
•
•
•
•
The two most common types of light are natural and artificial.
Incandescent light is produced from heat.
Fluorescent light is produced from fluorine gas.
Neon light is produced from neon light.
• Ultraviolet light comes from the sun and produces extra pigment in your skin.
• Ultraviolet light can be used to kill germs.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Albert Einstein was the first person to precisely measure the speed of light.
Christian Huygens discovered electromagnetic waves.
Robert Young demonstrated the interference of light.
Hero of Alexandria discovered the angle of incidence.
Ancient Greeks created the periscope.
Willebrord Snell discovered refraction.
Isaac Newton worked with refracting white light to create the visible spectrum.
• Light travels in electromagnetic waves.
• Reflection is the bouncing back of light.
• Refraction is the bending of light.
• When white light is refracted it separates into many colors.
• Convex lenses make light converge.
• Concave lenses make light diverge.
• Absorption is what causes us to see colors.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
7
Before Viewing
Activity 1
Name
What’s the Truth?
Each of the following statements is related to light. Decide which are true and
which are false. Write a “T” next to the true statements and an “F” next to the
false statements.
_____
1. All the colors that we see are the reflection of light.
_____
2. A plane mirror is a flat mirror.
_____
3. The three most common types of artificial light are incandescent, fluorescent,
and neon.
_____
4. Neon is a gaseous element that releases light when charged with electricity.
_____
5. When white light is refracted it separates into many colors.
_____
6. The angle between a ray of light and a mirror is not the same as the angle
between the reflected ray of light and the mirror.
_____
7. Fluorescent lights use a gas called fluorine.
_____
8. The amount of energy that photons possess determines the type of light
wave they produce.
_____
9. Light travels in electromagnetic waves.
_____ 10. Two types of light are natural and artificial.
_____ 11. Fluorescent light is light produced from heat.
_____ 12. Ultraviolet rays come from the sun and produce extra pigment in your skin.
––––– 13. Light is a form of energy that travels through space in waves.
_____ 14. A concave lens is thicker in the center than on the edges.
_____ 15. Objects reflect light and that is what gives them color.
8
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Name
Before Viewing
Activity 2
Journaling Question: On or Off?
Think about the importance of light in your own world. What would life be like without light?
Below, write your thoughts about life in a world without light.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
9
Before Viewing
Activity 3
Name
Show What You Know!
Often you know a lot about a subject before you begin studying it. Before
viewing the program, take some time to fill in the first two columns of the chart.
After viewing the program and completing some of the activities, revisit this
chart and fill in the last two columns.
10
K
W
L
S
What we
KNOW
about light
What we WANT
to find out
about light
What we LEARNED
from the
experiments
What we STILL need
to learn or other
questions we have
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Name
Before Viewing
Activity 4
Words Splash
Each of these words is related to light. Write several paragraphs using all of these words to
explain what you know about light.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
11
During Viewing
Activity 1
Name
What’s Missing?
Choose the correct word or words from the word box to complete each sentence.
color
artificial
energy
periscopes
atom
sunlight
neon
speed
incandescent
fluorescent
ultraviolet
mirrors
natural
convex
1. ___________________ heats the Earth.
2. Light is a form of ___________________ that travels through space in waves.
3. The source of light is the ___________________.
4. Examples of ___________________light are Sun, stars, northern lights and firelight.
5. Examples of ___________________ light are lamps, candles and lasers.
6. Three of the most common ways to produce artificial light are ___________________,
___________________, and ___________________.
7. Albert Einstein was the first person to measure the ___________________ of light.
8. He used ___________________ to test his theory.
9. ___________________ allow us to view objects by reflecting light.
10. Glass refracts light and water acts as a(n) ___________________ lens.
11. Objects reflect light and that’s what gives them ___________________.
12. ___________________ light can be both harmful and helpful to people.
12
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
During Viewing
Activity 2
Name
Light Fight
N
A
The progra, presents information about both natural and artificial light. In the Venn diagram
below, write as much information as possible that you gain about both types of light.
Similarities go in the center.
L
RA
TU
HT
LIG
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
ARTIFI
C
IAL
LIG
H
T
Thrilling Experiments: Light
13
During Viewing
Activity 3
Name
See the Light
In the program, you will learn about three types of artificial light. Use the chart below to
record information about how the three types of light are produced.
INCANDESCENT
14
Thrilling Experiments: Light
FLOURESCENT
NEON
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
During Viewing
Activity 4
Name
Who’s Who?
Several important scientists have made contributions to the study of
light. Their names are listed below. Draw a line to match the
person on the left with his accomplishment on the right.
Albert Einstein
discovered that light travels in electromagnetic
waves.
Christian Huygens
discovered that if light travels between
transparent substances its direction
is changed.
Sir Isaac Newton
discovered the angle of incidence.
Willebrord Snell
was the first person to precisely measure
the speed of light.
Hero of Alexandria
explored the visible spectrum.
Robert Young
discovered the interference of light.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
15
Name
After Viewing
Activity 1
Converging Light
Glass can be used to make light converge or diverge, depending on the shape of the glass.
In the space below, draw a diagram of a convex lens. Then, add lines to show how light
passes through the lens and converges toward the center.
16
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Name
After Viewing
Activity 2
Prove It
White light is the presence of all colors or the entire visible spectrum. Write a paragraph
based on the experiment from the video that “proves” this statement is true.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
17
After Viewing
Activity 3
Name
Periscope Directions
Construct a periscope by using the directions that follow. This activity will allow you
to experiment with mirrors and the correct placement of them in the periscope.
Required Materials
2 empty quart-sized cardboard milk or juice containers
2 small rectangular mirrors, mirror paper, or Mylar
Tape
Scissors or a craft knife
Science notebook
1. Cut the tops off of two milk cartons.
2. Cut a hole about 5cm in diameter in one side of each carton, near the bottom.
3. Tape one mirror, tilted at a 45 degree angle, in the bottom of each carton with the
reflective side facing the hole.
4. Turn one carton upside down, and tape the two cartons together so that the holes are on
opposite sides of the periscope.
5. Answer the following questions in your science notebook:
What do you see when you look into your periscope?
How could you use your periscope?
Have you ever seen a periscope used?
Have you seen another instrument that works like a periscope?
How can you improve upon the design of your periscope?
18
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Name
After Viewing
Activity 4
Watch This!
In the program, you saw experiments manipulating light. In the
space below, develop an experiment that would demonstrate how
you could make light go around corners. Describe your idea and
create a labeled diagram that another student could follow to test
your ideas.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
19
After Viewing
Quiz
Name
Light Quiz
1. The speed of light is about ____________________.
A. 186,000 miles per second
B. 186,000 miles per minute
C. 186,000 miles per hour
2. The following are true of an image in a plane mirror EXCEPT ____________________.
A. the image is reversed
B. the image is the same size as the object
C. the image is located as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it
3. You can see yourself in a mirror because of ____________________.
A. refraction
B. reflection
C. diffraction
4. The bending of light due to a change in its speed is called ____________________.
A. refraction
B. reflection
C. diffraction
5. Light rays bounce off a surface because of ____________________.
A. refraction
B. polarization
C. reflection
6. Heat, electricity, or light can excite electrons in an atom and result in the atom
giving off light.
A. True
B. False
7. The ocean is blue because ____________________.
A. it reflects the blue sky
B. it selectively reflects blue light from the sun
C. it selectively absorbs red light from the sun
20
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Extensions
Additional
Resources
• Independent Research
Research scientists (Albert Einstein, Robert Young, Christian Huygens, Hero of
Alexandria, Willebrord Snell, Sir Isaac Newton) and prepare a presentation about their
work. The presentation should include a demonstration of the discovery of the scientist
as well as an opportunity for other students to have hands-on experience with the
science concept being demonstrated.
• Poster Campaign
Poster campaign on sun safety. Students can research the harmful effects of the sun and
the scientific reasons for these effects. They can then develop a poster campaign
encouraging others to practice safety in the sun. This could be extended to include
Public Service Announcements on the school’s closed circuit television and
announcements made over the public address system.
• Creative Concepts
Raps/songs/poems of concepts of light. Students can put some of the vocabulary into
artistic formats that can be shared with the class and the school.
• Trading Experiments
Students will have developed their own ideas for a light investigation through the after
viewing #2 activity. They can trade papers with other students and recreate the
investigation that they receive. Presentations to the class can demonstrate the
effectiveness of the planned investigation as well as any changes that could be made to
make it more thorough or accurate in its scientific knowledge.
• Solving Problems
Students can develop a new use for light. Have them look for a problem or need in the
real world related to light. Then, they can develop a plan for solving that problem or
filling that need, using what they have learned about light. Students can then present
their solutions to a panel of “experts” for approval. This would be a good time to get
other classes involved in being on the panel or to get other teachers involved. Plans that
are approved should be built and tested.
• Making Lenses
Brainstorm ways to make lenses out of everyday materials. Refer back to the water
drop being used as a magnifier in the video. Develop and test other plans for making
lenses
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
21
Suggested Reading List
Additional
Resources
Anderson, Margaret J. Isaac Newton: The Greatest Scientist of All Time. The life,
work, and goals of the brilliant scientist Isaac Newton are described in this very readable
book about perhaps “the greatest scientist of all time.” A descriptive
chapter of experiments on color, paddle wheels, and gravity motivates students
to think and explore, as Newton did. Glossary.
Clegg, Brian. Light Years and Time Travel: An Exploration of Mankind’s Enduring
Fascination with Light. John Wiley And Sons, Inc. New York. A fascinating,
non-technical treatment of the concept of light. Brian Clegg’s approach is
both historical and biographical; it is a chronological account of how new
information challenges prevailing theories and how new theories force
another look at old observations.
Graham, Joan Bransfield. Flicker Flash. Houghton Mifflin. This volume contains poetry about
light sources. The vivid colors and words form the shapes of objects give delightful visual as
well as contextual information about the concepts. Candles, fireflies, lighthouses, and
fireworks are among the light sources portrayed.
This is an excellent resource for combining science, art, and literature.
Margolin, Michael. Hands-On Science Series: Light & Color. J. Weston Walch, Portland. 1998.
One of eight volumes of Hands-On Science from J. Weston Walsh. Each
volume includes a carefully structured set of 16 to 20 activities related to a single content
area. This book includes demonstrations and experiments related to lessons
on light and color, in a consistent format that will be convenient for physical science
or physics teachers. Each teacher-friendly activity includes advice “Before You Begin,”
instructional objectives, National Science Education Standards, required materials, helpful
hints, discussion, and adaptations for both high and low achievers.
McClafferty, Carla Killough. The Head Bone’s Connected to the Neck Bone:
The Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful X-Ray. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books
for Young Readers. This perspective of the development, uses, and misuses
of the X-ray is both complete and interesting. Beginning with Roentgen’s
radiation experiments and concluding with high-tech potential for the future,
this volume chronicles the history of X-rays.
Skurzynski, Gloria. Waves: The Electromagnetic Universe. National Geographic. Spectacular
color photographs, easy-to-follow diagrams, and a comprehensive glossary supplement the
text and help students understand basic scientific principles at work in everyday technology.
The book is simple enough so that children understand the link between pure and applied
science, yet advanced enough so that children ponder over questions that researchers
continue to study today.
22
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Answer Key - Before Viewing Activity Sheet 1
What’s the Truth?
Each of the following statements is related to light. Decide which are true and
which are false. Write a “T” next to the true statements and an “F” next to the
false statements.
_____
T 1. All the colors that we see are the reflection of light.
_____
T 2. A plane mirror is a flat mirror.
_____
F 3. The three most common types of artificial light are incandescent, fluorescent,
and neon.
_____
T 4. Neon is a gaseous element that releases light when charged with electricity.
_____
T 5. When white light is refracted it separates into many colors.
_____
F 6. The angle between a ray of light and a mirror is not the same as the angle
between the reflected ray of light and the mirror.
_____
T 7. Fluorescent lights use a gas called fluorine.
_____
T 8. The amount of energy that photons possess determines the type of light
wave they produce.
T 9. Light travels in electromagnetic waves.
_____
_____
T 10. Two types of light are natural and artificial.
F 11. Fluorescent light is light produced from heat.
_____
T 12. Ultraviolet rays come from the sun and produce extra pigment in your skin.
_____
T
––––– 13. Light is a form of energy that travels through space in waves.
F 14. A concave lens is thicker in the center than on the edges.
_____
T 15. Objects reflect light and that is what gives them color.
_____
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
23
Answer Key - During Viewing Activity Sheet 1
What’s Missing?
Choose the correct word or words from the word box to complete each sentence.
color
artificial
energy
periscopes
atom
sunlight
neon
speed
incandescent
fluorescent
ultraviolet
mirrors
natural
convex
Sunlight
1. ___________________
heats the Earth.
energy
2. Light is a form of ___________________
that travels through space in waves.
atom
3. The source of light is the ___________________.
natural
4. Examples of ___________________light
are Sun, stars, northern lights and firelight.
artificial
5. Examples of ___________________
light are lamps, candles and lasers.
incandescent
6. Three of the most common ways to produce artificial light are ___________________,
neon
flourescent and ___________________.
___________________,
speed
7. Albert Einstein was the first person to measure the ___________________
of light.
mirrors
8. He used ___________________
to test his theory.
Periscopes allow us to view objects by reflecting light.
9. ___________________
convex lens.
10. Glass refracts light and water acts as a(n) ___________________
11. Objects reflect light and that’s what gives them ___________________.
color
12. ___________________
Ultraviolet light can be both harmful and helpful to people.
24
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Answer Key - During Viewing Activity Sheet 2
Light Fight
The video presents information about both natural and artificial light. In the Venn diagram
below, write as much information as possible that you gain about both types of light.
Similarities go in the center.
N
A
ARTIFI
T
CIA
H
G
I
LL
L
L
IG
Artificial light is
H
RA Natural light
T
TU occurs when an
just what its name
implies - artificial.
object is luminous,
Lamps, candles,
or it produces its
and lasers were
own light. Only a
Light is a
created by humans
few things produce
form of energy
to produce the
light naturally. The
that travels
effect of energy in
Sun is our most
through space
the form of light.
important source of
in waves.
natural light. Stars,
the northern lights,
and fireflies all
produce natural
light as part of
their natural
existence.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
25
Answer Key - During Viewing Activity Sheet 3
See the Light
In the program, you will learn about three types of artificial light. Use the chart below to
record information about how the three types of light are produced.
26
INCANDESCENT
FLUORESCENT
NEON
Incandescent light
is produced from
heat. Think of a
light bulb.
Electricity provides
heat to the
filament of the
bulb, which glows
and releases
photons of visible
light. If you’ve
ever tried to
change a light
bulb without
letting it cool off,
you probably
burned your
fingers, because
the filament heats
the bulb.
Fluorescent lights
operate differently
from incandescent
light. Rather than
heating a
filament,
electricity is used
to charge a
gaseous matter.
The chemical
reaction produces
light, but not heat,
which causes it to
operate much
cooler than
incandescent light.
Fluorescent lights
use a gas called
fluorine. Besides
being cooler,
fluorescent light
uses a lot less
energy.
Neon is another
gaseous element
that releases light
when charged
with electricity.
Neon light stays
cool like
fluorescent light,
but turns red in
color. Other
gases can be
added to neon
to produce
different colors
of light. Because
it is bright and
colorful, artisans
use neon light to
create signs for
decoration and
advertisement.
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Answer Key - During Viewing Activity Sheet 4
Who’s Who?
Several important scientists have made contributions to the study of
light. Their names are listed below. Draw a line to match the
person on the left with his accomplishment on the right.
Albert Einstein
discovered that light travels in electromagnetic
waves.
Christian Huygens
discovered that if light travels between
transparent substances its direction
is changed.
Sir Isaac Newton
discovered the angle of incidence.
Willebrord Snell
was the first person to precisely measure
the speed of light.
Hero of Alexandria
explored the visible spectrum.
Robert Young
discovered the interference of light.
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
27
Answer Key - After Viewing Activity Sheet 1
Converging Light
Glass can be used to make light converge or diverge, depending on the shape of the glass.
In the space below, draw a diagram of a convex lens. Then, add lines to show how light
passes through the lens and converges toward the center.
28
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Answer Key - After Viewing Quiz
Light Quiz
1. The speed of light is about ____________________.
A. 186,000 miles per second
B. 186,000 miles per minute
C. 186,000 miles per hour
2. The following are true of an image in a plane mirror EXCEPT ____________________.
A. the image is reversed
B. the image is the same size as the object
C. the image is located as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it
3. You can see yourself in a mirror because of ____________________.
A. refraction
B. reflection
C. diffraction
4. The bending of light due to a change in its speed is called ____________________.
A. refraction
B. reflection
C. diffraction
5. Light rays bounce off a surface because of ____________________.
A. refraction
B. polarization
C. reflection
6. Heat, electricity, or light can excite electrons in an atom and result in the atom
giving off light.
A. True
B. False
7. The ocean is blue because ____________________.
A. it reflects the blue sky
B. it selectively reflects blue light from the sun
C. it selectively absorbs red light from the sun
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
29
Script
CAST
Tony “Thrill” Hill ..............................................................host
June Sifuentes......................................................experimenter
Zack ............................................................................volunteer
Jilyane ........................................................................volunteer
TONY
Hello there. Welcome to Thrilling Experiments. I am Tony “Thrill” Hill. And have I got
a great show for you. We are going to discuss light, and demonstrate some key
principles of light with some THRILLING EXPERIMENTS! And let me tell you, this is
quite a bright topic!!
Think about it, without light, we would not be able to see… anything.
In
fact, all the colors that we do see – are the reflection of light. When there is no light,
we are not able to see. Light bounces off of or is absorbed by objects; this determines
how we see each object. Light is so important. Just imagine, if there were no light,
we would have no food because plants need light from the sun to grow. We would
have no heat, because the light from the sun warms the planet.
So basically, without sunlight, we would not even exist. Pretty amazing how powerful
light is, isn’t it?
Let’s take a closer look at this amazing thing we call light. Light is a form of energy
that travels through space in waves.
The source of light is the atom.
You see, electrons within the atom are very active. They move around quite
a bit. Electron movement creates energy called photons. This is how it works: atoms
become “excited” or energized when they are exposed to heat. As they cool down,
the electrons dispose of the extra energy by releasing photons,
which create light waves.
The amount of energy that those photons possess determines the type of light wave
they produce. This explains the difference between the sun, which gives
off a very intense, white light, and, say, a flashlight.
Now, there are two types of light: natural and artificial, or man-made. Natural light
occurs when an object is luminous, or it produces its own light. Only a few things
produce light naturally. The sun is our most important source of natural light. Stars,
the northern lights, and fireflies, all produce natural light as part of their natural
existence. On the other hand, artificial light is just what its name implies: artificial.
30
Thrilling Experiments: Light
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Script
Lamps, candles, and lasers were created by humans to produce the effect of energy
in the form of light.
Artificial light can be produced in several ways. Three of the most common are
incandescent, fluorescent, and neon.
Incandescent light is produced from heat. Think of a light bulb. Electricity provides
heat to the filament of the bulb, which glows and releases photons
of visible light. If you’ve ever tried to change a light bulb without letting it cool off,
you probably burned your fingers, because the filament heats the bulb.
Fluorescent and neon lights operate differently from incandescent light. Rather than
heating a filament, electricity is used to charge a gaseous matter. The chemical
reaction produces light, but not heat, which causes them to operate much cooler than
incandescent light. Fluorescent lights use a gas called fluorine. Besides being cooler,
fluorescent light uses a lot less energy. You usually see long, tubular fluorescent lights
in stores and office buildings. However, energy-saving fluorescent fixtures are
available to fit in your fixtures at home.
Finally, there is neon light. Neon is another gaseous element that releases light when
charged with electricity. Neon light stays cool like fluorescent light, but turns red in
color. Other gases can be added to neon to produce different colors of light. Because
it is bright and colorful, artisans use neon light to create signs for decoration and
advertisement.
Great! Now that we know all about light, I’ve got some thrilling experiments to
demonstrate for you. I’ll supply you with a list of materials and directions so that
you can do these experiments in your own classroom. But remember, the most
important thing is safety! NEVER attempt ANY experiment without proper
supervision and equipment.
We’ve got the proper equipment here, but we’re going to need some more expert
help. So I’ve asked June Sifuentes to help us out. Good to see you June!
JUNE
Hi Tony! Are you ready to start our experiments?
TONY
You bet! What’s first?
© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC
Thrilling Experiments: Light
31
Script
E XPERIMENT #1: T YPES
OF
L IGHT
JUNE
Well, Tony. You mentioned that two of the types of light stay cool and one gets hot. Let’s
test them out and see the results for ourselves. For our first experiment we will need 3
thermometers, 3 watch glasses, an incandescent light bulb, a fluorescent light bulb, a
neon light bulb, and a Tesla coil.
First, set up the three bulbs. Place the watch glasses on, or right next to the
bulbs. Place a thermometer in each of the watch glasses. Turn on the light bulbs. Wait
five minutes and then record the temperature of the heat being released from the bulb.
TONY
Ok, the incandescent is 90 degrees. Wow, Kinda warm! The fluorescent bulb
is 78 degrees and the neon bulb is 75degrees. So the incandescent light was definitely
the hottest.
JUNE
There is another type of light that we haven’t mentioned yet. You’ve all heard
of ultraviolet light, right?
TONY
Yeah, UV light is the stuff that is bad for your skin.
JUNE
Correct, it is a very powerful, damaging light. UV rays come from the sun
and produce extra pigment in your skin. Too much UV light can burn your skin.
TONY
That is why we should protect our skin when we are outside with sunscreen
or clothing.
JUNE
That’s good advice, Tony. But UV rays do have some good qualities as well. Hospitals
use UV rays to kill germs. And they can also be used to destroy bacteria.
TONY
Wow. Those sound like some very powerful rays!
with them.
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We better not experiment
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E XPERIMENT #2: UV L IGHT
JUNE
Well, this isn’t exactly an experiment, but there are some safe ways to demonstrate
the properties of UV light – and have a little fun at the same time. One of the unusual
things about UV light is that there are some things that are visible only if you see
them under UV rays.
To see this for yourself, you’ll need
a black light and some UV make-up.
Ultra violet, or black lights are special bulbs that allow UV light to escape
from the bulb. And UV make up contains chemicals that absorb UV light. These
chemicals can only be seen under a UV light. So if you were to touch something that
had UV make up on it, nobody would be able to tell because it would not show up
in natural light. But if you turned on the black light, then we would
be able to see the make up glowing on your hands. Try it!!
What’s so funny, Tony? (she grabs a mirror, her face is all aglow in streaks)
What in the world?
TONY
Do you remember your coffee cup? Well, I put make up all over it. And with
your disposition for rubbing your chin and cheeks, I couldn’t resist.
That was fun, but we better get back to science… Let’s talk about Albert Einstein for
a moment. Did you know he was the first person to precisely measure the speed of
light? Way back in 1926, he discovered that light travels at 299,796 kilometers per
second - that’s 186,282 miles a second for all of us non-metric folks! In 1926, isn’t
that amazing? Tell them how he did it June.
JUNE
Einstein concluded the way to test the speed of light was by using mirrors. He put
together a mirror that was able to rotate very quickly. The mirror reflected a beam
of light to a distant reflector and back. By adjusting the mirror during the time the
light traveled to the reflection and back, he was able to determine the speed of light.
TONY
Wow! Did you guys also know that light travels in electromagnetic waves?
JUNE
That’s right, a Dutch scientist by the name of Christian Huygens discovered
that in the 1670’s. His discovery was supported 100 years later when another
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scientist, Robert Young, demonstrated the interference of light. Young showed
that two light beams could cancel each other out. Water waves act in the same way,
so the wave theory stuck. Now, light waves are very similar to sound and radio waves,
but they are very short.
TONY
They must be micro waves, huh? Get it really, small waves? Hhmm… Maybe that’s
a joke you have to REFLECT on for a while…
JUNE
Reflection is a very important property of light. In fact, I’ve got a great idea for
a quick field trip that will be a great way to demonstrate reflection.
TONY
Field Trip! Alright!
JUNE
All we need are 2 mirrors, and the walkie-talkies.
TONY
I’ll round ‘em up. Let’s go!
E XPERIMENT #3: R EFLECTED L IGHT
JUNE
I sent Tony to that park right over there. [into the walkie-talkie] Tony, are you ready?
TONY
You’re coming in loud and clear. I’m ready!
JUNE
In just a moment, Tony will use a plane mirror to reflect the light of the sun to me. By
‘plane’ mirror, I don’t mean that it’s an ordinary mirror, I mean P-L-A-N-E as in flat.
The flat surface of a plane mirror reflects the rays of the sun very accurately. Let’s try.
OK, Tony, reflect those rays!
TONY
OK, Here goes. . . can you see it?
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JUNE
I sure can [shielding her eyes]. Standby for just a minute! I have the 2nd mirror
right here. Now, even though the sun is behind me, I can reflect the rays sent by
Tony, back to him! Let’s try. OK, Tony, are you ready again?
TONY
Let’s go for it!
[June uses her mirror to reflect the light back to Tony]
TONY
Wow! Right back at us, It worked!
JUNE
Alright Tony, let’s head back to the lab.
TONY
On my way!
JUNE
So how does our field trip experiment relate to science? Well, way back around
200BC a Greek man, Hero of Alexandria, discovered that the angle between a ray
of light and a mirror is the same as the angle between the reflected ray of light and
the mirror.
TONY
As long as that mirror has a flat surface. There are mirrors with curved surfaces
but they’re a whole different story.
JUNE
Right. In fact, it is the same principle discovered by Hero back in ancient Greece
that brought about the creation of periscopes. Periscopes allow the user to view
objects out of their natural range of sight by using reflected light.
TONY
Submarines use periscopes to view activity on the surface of the water without
being detected. Periscopes are really fun to use. Do you think we could make one?
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E XPERIMENT #4: P ERISCOPES
JUNE
You bet! What we’ll need is two mirrors 3 inches by five inches, a cardboard box,
duct or masking tape, a knife, some scissors, a pencil, and a volunteer.
TONY
Here is our volunteer. What is your name?
ZACK
I’m Zack. I’ve always wanted to make one of these things.
JUNE
Thanks for joining us. First, you need to fold a cardboard box lengthwise into five
equal sections, each section should be about four inches wide and at least 18” long.
As you fold the box into a square, two of the sections will overlap to keep the
periscope together. Tape the box to hold its shape.
Choose one side of the box to be the front. Pencil the shape of a 3” square about
one inch from the bottom of the box. Flip the box over to its designated backside
and pencil a square about one inch from the top of the box. Cut out the squares.
Now, return to the front of the periscope. Cut slits on the sides of the box, where the
square has all ready been cut out. The slits should be just a little shorter than the
length of the mirrors, to make sure the mirror stays in place. They should also be
angled downward so the mirror tilts downward. The mirror should slide into the box
and stay in place. Tape it to the sides of the box if you need to. Now go use your
periscope.
ZACK
Hey, cool! You look really different through this thing! How does it look?
JUNE
That looks pretty good! Great job!
TONY
So what’s next, June?
JUNE
Well, as I previously mentioned, light behaves in a couple of ways. We talked about
reflection.
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TONY
Oh, I know! The other way is refraction, right?
JUNE
You got it. In 1621, a Dutch scientist, Willebrord Snell discovered that if light travels
between transparent substances, its direction is changed. We call this refraction. For
instance, if a ray of light travels into a body of water, its direction will change. You
see, the speed of light in water is less than its speed in the air above the water.
TONY
Glass also refracts light. Parallel panes of glass make light travel in the same
direction on both sides. And when glass isn’t parallel, light will converge or diverge,
depending on the shape of the glass.
JUNE
Let’s look at a convex lens, one that makes light converge to better help you all
understand this concept. A convex lens can be either plastic or glass and it is thicker
in the center than on the edges. When light rays pass through a convex lens, they
are bent toward the center, converging to form a focal point.
TONY
So if an object were placed between a convex lens and the focal point of the light,
would it be bigger than normal?
JUNE
Yes it would.
TONY
So it’s like a magnifying glass then?
E XPERIMENT #5: M AGNIFYING L ENS
JUNE
Exactly. Let’s make our own convex lens. We’ll need a glass slide, a small washer,
some petroleum jelly, some water, a dropper, and a piece of newspaper with print,
not pictures on it, and a volunteer to help us.
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TONY
Here comes our volunteer now. What is your name?
JILYANE
Hi. I’m Jilyane. This will be cool.
JUNE
Thanks for joining us. What you’ll first need to do is take the glass slide and
put some petroleum jelly in the center of it. Now place the washer in the center
of the slide. It should stick to the slide. Place a drop of water in the center of
the washer. Now place the slide over the newspaper. What do you see?
JILYANE
The print is larger! Cool! So the glass refracts the light and the water acts like
a convex lens!
TONY
Great job! Thanks for joining us!
JUNE
Now there’s a lot more to this whole refraction thing. So let’s get to it. When
white light is refracted it separates into many colors. 300 years ago, Sir Isaac
Newton took a prism and held it up in a dark room. Then he allowed a beam
of sunlight in, which hit the prism. The light leaving the prism spread into many
different rays of color: Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.
Newton called the rays of light the spectrum and the spreading effect the light
had dispersion.
Newton also found that if the beam were passed through a second prism,
it would turn white again. Because of this, Newton concluded that white light
is made up of all the colors of the rainbow.
TONY
Objects reflect light and this is what gives them color, right?
JUNE
That’s right, Tony
TONY
The sky, for example – its blue. But it only looks blue because it happens to
reflect most of the blue light in the spectrum and absorbs the rest of the colors.
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E XPERIMENT #6: C OLOR
OF
L IGHT
JUNE
That’s right, Tony. We can see for ourselves how white light is separated. What
we’ll need is a prism, two flashlights, colored blocks of red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, and violet, and colored light gels of red, blue and green.
Lower the lights in the room, then shine your flashlight through the prism to see
the colors that are refracted. Then line up the colored blocks red, orange, yellow,
green, blue and violet. Now display them in white light. Note the color of the block
and what color the shadow of each is. Now, light the blocks from the right side
using the red gel and from the left side using the green gel.
TONY
Interesting, there is no blue reflection. The shadow on the right is red and the
shadow on the left is green and the background is yellow, a mix of red and green.
JUNE
Now use only the blue gel to light the blocks.
TONY
They all look blue! Is it because blue is a darker color being reflected?
JUNE
You got it. Relight the blocks with a red gel from the right and a blue gel from
the left.
TONY
The blocks on the right look like they are shades of blue and the blocks on the left
look like they are all shades of red. They are the opposite of when we used the
red and green gels.
JUNE
That’s right. Red and blue mix to create magenta, which is the color of the
background.
TONY
Oh, I see! So the blocks on the right keep their blue colored base despite the red
light and the blocks on the left keep their red colored base despite the blue light.
Because they are refracting the light!!
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JUNE
As you can see, light has a profound effect on our lives, and on modern science!
We have come a long way from living by the light of a fire or a candle!
TONY
It is so amazing! I wonder what’s next? Maybe traveling at the speed of light. . .
yeah! (pulls out some paper and a pencil) Let’s see. . .
JUNE
First, say good-bye, Tony.
TONY
Oh!, bye everyone!
JUNE
I hope you enjoyed the experiments! Bye now! (turns to Tony) Now, if you’re really
serious about this, let me help you. First you . . .
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