Nature of Light

The Story of Science

Philosophy of Science

Teaching of Science

Curriculum and Syllabus

Topics in School Science

Textbooks

Question Bank

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Concept Map

Error: Mind Map file Nature_of_Light.mm not found

Textbook

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Additional information

Useful websites

1. Interactive Simulation on Nature of Light
   
   In this simulation, you can explore the history of quantum physics, how the understanding of light was developed and an overview of the theories of light. Source: NSTA
   
   
2. Interactive Simulation on Nature of Light
   
   In this simulation you can explore the behaviour of light as waves. Source: NSTA
   
   
3. Wikipedia article on Wave Particle Duality

Reference Books

1. E=m$c^{2}$ by David Bodanis - This book is a very interesting account of how the understanding developed in quantum physics and the theory of light. See Online

1. NCERT Textbook Chapter Light
2. NCERT Textbook Chapter Reflection and Refraction
3. NCERT Textbook Chapter Human Eye and the Colourful World

An image of a concept map of light

Teaching Outlines

Concept #1 - Dual nature of light

Learning objectives

1. It is possible to look at light and other electro magnetic radiation as a wave or as a particle known as the photon.
2. Light travels as electromagnetic radiation; with waves of different wavelengths
3. Light interacts with material particles in discrete packets called photons
4. Different wavelengths are associated with photons of different energies

Notes for teachers

The objective here is to enable students to understand that light can be thought of as a wave or as particles. Different models of light explain different phenomena. It is important to get a sense of the history of how light was understood, how electromagnetism was understood and how light is the result of continuously oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Videos on Nature of Light
The following videos are useful in understanding the nature of light.

1. Nature of Light
2. What is Light
3. Thomas Young's Double Slit Experiment

Activity No # 1 - Simulation of double slit experiment

Click to Comment

The objective of this activity is to demonstrate an important experiment from the 18th century that made physicists rethink about the nature of light.

• Estimated Time
• Materials/ Resources needed
• Prerequisites/Instructions, if any
• Multimedia resources
• Website interactives/ links/ simulations

• Process (How to do the activity)

1. Launch the simulation from the PhET website or download it and run. #Discuss the simulation with the following questions.
2. Do the simulation with water and then light. You can do sound if students have been introduced to material waves and understand sound. It is better to do another simulation on wave propagation on sound before doing this simulation.

• Developmental Questions (What discussion questions)

1. Let us click on water here. When a drop of water drips in a bucket, what do you expect to see (waves move around)
2. If two drops of water drip, what do you expect to see (the patterns the water make will intersect; this is called interference)
3. Now let us do a similar thing with light
4. What do you see now from the source of the light? (Light emanating)
5. If I put one slit, what will I expect to see, according to the ray theory of light? (There will be a dark spot where the slit is but rest of the screen will have light)
6. If I have two slits, what will I expect to see?
7. What do we really observe? Why would this be?
8. Talk about how waves propagate and what happens when there is interference?

• Evaluation (Questions for assessment of the child)
• Question Corner

Activity No #

Click to Comment

• Estimated Time
• Materials/ Resources needed
• Prerequisites/Instructions, if any
• Multimedia resources
• Website interactives/ links/ simulations
• Process (How to do the activity)
• Developmental Questions (What discussion questions)
• Evaluation (Questions for assessment of the child)
• Question Corner

Concept # Electromagnetic Spectrum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwfJPc-rSXw&list=PL09E558656CA5DF76

Notes for teachers

These are short notes that the teacher wants to share about the concept, any locally relevant information, specific instructions on what kind of methodology used and common misconceptions/mistakes.

Activity No #

Click to Comment

• Estimated Time
• Materials/ Resources needed
• Prerequisites/Instructions, if any
• Multimedia resources
• Website interactives/ links/ simulations
• Process (How to do the activity)
• Developmental Questions (What discussion questions)
• Evaluation (Questions for assessment of the child)
• Question Corner

Activity No #

Click to Comment

• Estimated Time
• Materials/ Resources needed
• Prerequisites/Instructions, if any
• Multimedia resources
• Website interactives/ links/ simulations
• Process (How to do the activity)
• Developmental Questions (What discussion questions)
• Evaluation (Questions for assessment of the child)
• Question Corner

Fun corner

Usage

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Usage

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Concept Map

Error: Mind Map file Nature_of_Light.mm not found

Textbook

To add textbook links, please follow these instructions to: (Click to create the subpage)

Teaching Outlines

Concept #

Activity No #

1. Materials/ Resources needed
2. Prerequisites/Instructions, if any
3. Multimedia resources
4. Website interactives
5. Evaluation
6. Question Corner