ALEX Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

Light is everywhere, but it’s not as predictable as you might think. It’s a wave that travels in straight lines, yet it also reflects off of surfaces, refracts through various materials, and generally changes direction all the time. We know we can bend light to our will, with lenses and mirrors, but in this video, we will explore what we can learn from light.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

How do lenses work? How do they form images? Well, in order to understand how optics work, we have to understand the physics of light. In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini talks to us about optical instruments and how they make magnification possible.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 1 :

1 ) Investigate and analyze, based on evidence obtained through observation or experimental design, the motion of an object using both graphical and mathematical models (e.g., creating or interpreting graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration versus time graphs for one- and two-dimensional motion; solving problems using kinematic equations for the case of constant acceleration) that may include descriptors such as position, distance traveled, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration.

[SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

So we've all heard of relativity, right? What is relativity? How does it relate to light? Motion? In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini talks to us about perspective, observation, and how relativity is really weird.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 8 :

8 ) Investigate the nature of wave behavior to illustrate the concept of the superposition principle responsible for wave patterns, constructive and destructive interference, and standing waves (e.g., organ pipes, tuned exhaust systems).

a. Predict and explore how wave behavior is applied to scientific phenomena such as the Doppler effect and Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR).

[SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

What is light? That is something that has plagued scientists for centuries. It behaves like a wave and a particle. Is it both? In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini introduces the idea of quantum mechanics and how it helps us understand light. Also, there's this thing called the ultraviolet catastrophe.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

In the mid-1800s, Scottish physicist James Maxwell thought something interesting was going on with electric fields, so he decided to assemble a set of equations that held true for all electromagnetic interactions. In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini talks to us about Maxwell's Equations and how important they are to our understanding of Physics. She discusses the ray model, reflection and refraction, ray diagrams, and converging and diverging lenses. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PHYS (9-12) 10 :

10 ) Plan and carry out investigations that evaluate the mathematical explanations of light as related to optical systems (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, intensity, polarization, Snell's law, the inverse square law).

Sunlight, moonlight, torchlight, and flashlight all come from different places, but they’re the very same thing: light. It’s what makes it possible for us to see the world around us, so it’s worth a close, hard look. For instance, how does light travel? When you flip that switch in the bathroom to brush your teeth, how does light move from the light bulb, to the mirror, and into your eyes? This video explores the ray model, reflection and refraction, diverging and converging lenses, and ray diagrams.