Light & Optics Unit Becky McCoy
Lesson Title: Rainbows and Diffraction Timing: 50 Minutes Target Audience: High School Conceptual Physics Course (9th – 12th grade)
Objectives: Students Will Be Able To: • Describe what causes a rainbow. The Teacher Will Be Able To: • Asses student understanding of refraction of light.
Standards Assessed: New York State, The Physical Setting 4.3 viii. draw ray diagrams to represent the reflection and refraction of waves
Misconception(s) Addressed: •
Different colors of light are different types of waves.
Prior Knowledge: Ray diagrams and refraction of light from previous lesson. Aim: Investigate the properties of light that cause rainbows. Concept Map Vocabulary: • • •
Wavelength Magnitude Period
• •
Frequency Wave Speed
• •
Wave Number Diffraction
• •
Diffraction Grating Prism
Necessary Preparation: COPIES • Final Project assignment • Light & Optics Unit Concept Map MATERIALS • Glass cup • Water • Sunny window • Flashlight • White paper • Mirror • Diffraction Grating (http://www.rainbowsymphonystore.com/difgratslida.html) SET UP
Light & Optics Unit Becky McCoy •
Prepare materials for the activity.
Light & Optics Unit Becky McCoy
Lesson Plan
Aim: Investigate the properties of light that cause rainbows. Physics Push-Up: Whole Class Discussion (5 minutes) Ask students if they’ve ever seen rainbows or heard stories about rainbows. What wives tales or other myths are connected to rainbows?
Activity: Making Rainbows (10 minutes) Materials: • Glass cup • Water • Sunny window • Flashlight • White paper • Mirror • Diffraction Grating (http://www.rainbowsymphonystore.com/difgratslida.html) Procedure: 1. Fill a glass with water. 2. Place the glass on a table in front of a sunny window. 3. Place a sheet of paper on the floor. It could be any light color. White might be best, but try any color you prefer. 4. Adjust the glass and the paper until you see a rainbow. 5. Place a mirror inside the glass. 6. Turn off all the lights in the room. 7. Shine the flashlight into water, moving it around until a rainbow can be viewed. 8. Shine the flashlight through a diffraction grating onto white paper, screen, or wall. Questions to Ask: • What did you observe with each demonstration? • Were the rainbows single, double, or another multiple? • What other ways can you make a rainbow? • How might rainbows be connected to what we’ve learned about light?
Activity Summary: All About Waves (15 minutes) Use the information at this website (http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Lsun4spe.htm) to explain how the refraction of light (the ray model we studied in the last three classes) is related to rainbows and color. This discussion can also be expanded to discuss the electromagnetic spectrum, which will be addressed later in the unit. Further demonstrations might include shining light through a prism. This way, you can draw the shape
Light & Optics Unit Becky McCoy of the prism on the board and draw the refraction of the light separating the colors of the white light. This is the time to begin discussing the anatomy of a wave. Pictures and diagrams will help students to understand the different parts of a wave. Use the basic equations relating wavelengths, frequencies, and the speed of the wave. Students do not need to have a deep understanding of the equations, because they will be addressed next class.
Homework: (5 minutes) Students should begin brainstorming for their Final Project and start writing their project proposal, due Lesson 6. Final Project: See attached assignment. Due the first class of the next unit.
Exit Strategy: Rainbows (5 minutes) Students should write about one situation in which they saw or experienced a rainbow. They should also write a couple sentences explaining what caused the rainbow.
Extension Activity: Give some examples of waves using the equations.
Assessment: • •
Student responses to activity questions. Exit Card responses.
Resources: Rainbow Activity: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rainbow University of Dallas: http://phys.udallas.edu/C3P/Preconceptions.pdf
Notes & Adaptations:
Light & Optics Unit Becky McCoy
Final Project Assignment Use any form of creativity you choose to convey what you have learned about light during this unit. You may choose from the following, or choose another mode of completing your assignment: • Drawing • Creative Writing • Painting • Movie • Research Paper Your assignment must include aspects of the Ray and Wave portions of the unit’s concept map (attached). If you choose an artistic approach to the assignment, you must write at least a page explaining your decisions and describe how the appropriate content is portrayed in your final product. Due Dates: • A plan for your assignment is due next class. • The final assignment is due the first class of the next unit.