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
- If not done, complete Models of Light
Day 2 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Physics Interactives: The Photoelectric Effect with Student Activity Sheet
Do and process, 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
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
- Review polarization: then Pair Practice: Polarization Think Sheet
Complete; check answers. Then ...
- Science Reasoning Center: Electromagnetic Spectrum
Do and process
- Discuss Electromagnetic spectrum; patterns for wavelength, frequency, and energy; discuss visible light spectrum
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
- Quick Quiz on Learning Outcomes #1 - #4
- Introduce Color
Discuss the light wavelengths and color, ROYGBIV; the eye (retina, cones, etc.); incident-absorbed-reflected model; use Incident-Absorbed-Reflected Model Think Sheet (selected Qs)
- Physics Interactives: RGB Color Addition with Student Activity Sheet
Do and process
Homework/Announcements
- Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part d
- Concept Checker: RGB Color Addition
Day 6 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Lab 2 - Taking Away From RGB
Do and process; save Conclusion until after lesson
- Discuss primary colors of light; discuss rules of color subtraction; color wheel and color equations; complementary colors; color subtraction; use of incident-absorbed-reflected model to explain the colors we see
- Pair Practice: complete Incident-Absorbed-Reflected Model Think Sheet
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 7 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Pair Practice: Color Addition and Subtraction Think Sheet
- Concept Builder: Color Addition and Subtraction
- 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
Homework/Announcements
- Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Concept Checker: Painting with CMY
Day 8 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Guided/Pair/Individual Practice: Pigments and Color Subtraction Think Sheet
Do and check answers; then begin ...
- Concept Builder: Color Pigments
- Physics Interactives: Stage Lighting with Student Activity Sheet
Do and process
Homework/Announcements
- Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Concept Checker: Stage Lighting
Day 9 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Lab 3 - M and Ms Activity
Complete; process ...
- Discuss what happens when the incident light isn't white? Do some examples with an incident-absorbed-reflected diagram; selected Qs from When the Incident Light's not White Think Sheet
- Pair Practice: complete When the Incident Light's not White Think Sheet
Complete; then ...
- Complete Lab 3 write-up
Homework/Announcements
- Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC5 on Color Subtraction
Day 10 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Lab 4 - Filtering Away
- Discuss filters; transition to the incident-absorbed-transmitted model; do some examples from Incident-Absorbed-Transmitted Model Think Sheet
- Pair Practice: complete Incident-Absorbed-Transmitted Model Think Sheet
Complete and check answers; if time allows, start ...
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters
Homework/Announcements
- Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
- Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters
Day 11 of Light Waves and Color
Lesson Plan
- Demonstration of colored shadows using RGB Lights; emphasize color subtraction and color addition principles
- Physics Interactives: Colored Shadows
Have students construct and label a diagram of their observations; do Shadows Think Sheet
- Concept Builder: Color Filters
- Discuss Unit Test
Homework/Announcements
- Prepare for Tomorrow's Test
- Complete all unfinished work