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The documents and all material contained therein are © Dean Baird. All rights reserved. They may be used by teachers and students for classroom instruction. Beyond that, no part of these documents may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
| GUIDES | |
| 1 | Light Examples /
Indices of Refraction Reference Definition of equations, explanation of equations, worked out example problems. Reference chart on indices of refraction. |
| 2 | Making Waves 5 Step-by-step illustration of how electromagnetic waves are formed. |
| 3 | Electromagnetic Spectrum Description of how electromagnetic waves are made, why they propagate at a particular speed, how different wavelength/frequency ranges are different from each other. |
| 4 | Reflection Specular and diffuse reflection are distinguished; the law of reflection is developed. |
| 5 | Refraction
Analogies Toy axle, life guard; the principle of least time is discussed. |
| 6 | Refraction Math Snell's Law illustrated. |
| 7 | Total Internal
Reflection Description and explanation of total internal reflection. Includes derivation of the equation for critical angle. |
| 8 | Atmospheric
Refraction Description of gradual atmospheric refraction and an explanation of mirages. |
| 9 | Dispersion Explanation of dispersion. |
| JOBS - The unlinked titles below are available in the Conceptual Physics lab manual from Pearson Education - Amazon link | |
| 1 |
Electromagnetic
Spectrum at Teachers Pay Teachers (coming eventually) This is an in-class research activity. Students use textbooks, reference posters, and the World Wide Web (if available) to assemble data and application info regarding the EM spectrum. |
| 2 | Reflections
I
Lab Springboard at Teachers Pay
Teachers (coming eventually) A discussion lab activity to investigate plane reflection using ray box optics. |
| 3 | Diversion Into
Refraction I Lab Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers
A discussion lab activity to investigate refraction using ray box optics. |
| 4 |
Coin
in the Cup Lab
Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers (coming eventually)
A discussion lab "magic trick" involving refraction. |
| 5 |
Index
of Refraction Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers A classroom discussion to clarify the meaning of the index of refraction. |
| 6 |
Critical
Angle Lab Springboard at Teachers
Pay Teachers (coming ... eventually) A discussion lab activity to investigate total internal reflection and critical angle. |
| 7 |
Mirages Lab
Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers A discussion lab activity to investigate gradual refraction (the phenomenon underlying mirages). |
| 8 |
Dispersion
Diversion Lab Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers A discussion lab activity to investigate dispersion using ray box optics. |
| 9 |
Understanding
Rainbows Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers Explaining how a rainbow is formed, I mean really explaining it is among the most difficult things to do in a physics class. The physics is easy; the geometry is tough. This is a classroom discussion designed to explain how rainbows are formed. |
| LABS | |
| 1 | Pixel
Peeping + PhET at Teachers Pay Teachers Exploring color mixing by examining computer picture elements (pixels) under magnification. Yellow might just shock you! |
| 2 |
Fun
with Colors Lab Springboard at
Teachers Pay Teachers This is a nice activity to follow Pixel Peeping. Orange might just shock you! |
| OTHER | |
| 1 2 |
Light Begins With an M - Presentation
(QuickTime) Part of the "Physics Begins with an M" series. Make a transperency and put it on the overhead on the first day of the unit to enhance curiousity in the material of the unit. Light Begins With an M Keynote A nifty Keynote presentation of the M's. (Keynote is Apple's presentation software; PowerPoint is Microsoft's presentation software.) Trust me, neither Keynote nor PowerPoint are The Great Saviors of education. I recommend using them sparingly if at all. Better to teach! |
| 3 |
YouTube Skepticism: Cell
Phone Pop Corn at Teachers Pay Teachers Can popcorn be popped using cell phones as shown in a viral video campaign? |
| 4 |
YouTube
Physics: Chromatophores and Trichromats at Teachers
Pay Teachers The biological "pixels" used to camouflage cephalopods, and why your brain invents magenta. |
| 5 |
Light
Crossword Puzzle Grid -
Clues Crossword puzzles are highly personalized and may not always translate well from my classroom to yours. |
| 6 |
NEW: PracTest Complete Note: Question 10 has been changed. OLD: Practice Test Questions - Answers Sample test questions covering magnetism and induction. |
| OLD | |
| Using Snell's Law
Lab Springboard - Answers A discussion lab activity to apply Snell's Law to determine index of refraction using ray box optics. |
|
| Using TIR to Determine n
Lab Springboard - Answers A discussion lab activity to apply total internal reflection in determining index of refraction using ray box optics. |
|
| Mirror
Misunderstandings - Sheets Thorough inquiry into the nature of reflection from a plane mirror. Deals with the location of a reflected image, the length of the shortest mirror needed to see a complete image, what the mirror reverses and what it doesn't reverse (such as left and right). Thanks to Dewey Dykstra! |
|
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