Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Light: From Bonfires To Lasers: Outline of Content
Light: From Bonfires To Lasers: Outline of Content
The time for whole session is about 1 hour 15mins. This can be varied by taking shorter
paths through the material eg by omitting activities in italics or omitting the section on
colour. Choices will depend on the particular needs of the school.
Outline of content
Aims to
establish what the children already know, using demos and class experiments
explain that excited atoms give out light in cold objects as well as hot objects
understand that we see when light travels to our eyes
understand that darkness is absence of light and we cannot see in true darkness
find that we see most objects because they reflect light to our eyes
find that mirrors change the direction in which light is travelling and that the
angle matters
show white light is made up of colours
explain primary colours of light are red, blue and green
investigate coloured materials in different colours of light
demonstrate and discuss up-to-date applications by linking the children’s
knowledge with their experience.
Points to note:
Please read the notes about risks and agree the assessment with the
teacher before the session!
Cross References
- The slides in the PowerPoint presentation are referenced in the table.
- As the presentation may be running throughout the session some simple slides
provide a suitable background, alternatively switch to a black screen.
- Apparatus details are below the table and are linked to the relevant sections.
- Notes about safety are below the table
- Vocabulary: The presentation uses expressions included in the KS1&2 strategies
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/science/?view=get
- NB The phrase ‘excited atoms’ does not occur in these strategies.
Apparatus
Please read the safety notes below this apparatus list.
1
Glow sticks or glow bracelets etc can be bought cheaply on the web eg glow glasses for
39p each – cheaper if more than 10 bought Hazard- see the safety notes!
4
Bright toy using LEDs or a miniature torch using a LED.
9
Black bags – enough for one per group of children
Black cloth bags made from dense black material, for example from an old black tee
shirt.
Phosphorescent stickers – available from toy shops and stationers
Torch – one per group. The school could be asked to provide these or the children asked to bring
them.
14, 15, 16
Mirror
Demonstration
A large mirror to reflect light from the PPT slide – at least 50 cmx50 cm- use a
household mirror
A second large mirror – preferably plastic
17
Class experiment
For each group:
Torch
Mirror (Schools usually have mirrors which are also used in maths.)
Block or support to keep mirror upright
A sheet of white paper
19
Several CDs to hand round for the children to see the colours in the reflected light.
21
Diffraction grating material in the form of plastic film can be obtained from Edmunds
Optics (USA) two sheets ~ 15x30 cm2, 1000 lines per mm for ~ £8 plus postage.
Keep one sheet whole for demonstrations and cut the second into pieces for the
children to use. (If the small pieces are framed with card they will not be lost.)
23
Colour disc demonstration
Hand held electric food mixer or travel fan
card
blu tac
Copy the colour wheel below, print it and glue the disc to a circle of card.
(To enlarge the wheel, left click on it and stretch the corner dots that appear.)
I used a hand held food mixer with only one beater attached and fastened the card
to it using a large lump of blu tac.(String can also be tied through small holes in the
card to fasten it to the beaters or fan to ensure that the disc does not fly off at high
speed.) It was possible to increase the speed slowly so that the children could see
the colours blending more and more until at the highest speed the disc appeared
white.
Alternatively attach the disc to the end of a travel fan or the bit of an electric drill.
26
Samples of coloured transparent plastic – I found that brightly coloured transparent
wallets for A4 papers were suitable and much cheaper than colour filters. I chose
the brightest colours and used the wallets fastened.
27
Collect a few large brightly coloured objects that you have available - I used posters
and silk scarves. Use the slides to show that they objects look different in different
colours of light.
Eg: a yellow object in red light then green light.
a blue object in red light
etc
Note - an explanation of why yellow and blue paints mix to give green
(this works for only some blues)
- yellow paint reflects red + green light
- some blue colours are actually blue + some green
- mixing paints is colour subtraction
- the reflected colour is the colour that can be reflected by all the paint
- hence green is seen.
29
A string of coloured Christmas-tree lights
(You will need to check that there is a convenient mains socket before the
presentation.)
Samples of coloured transparent plastic as in 26
_______________________________________________________
Safety Notes
Do not use laser pointers as some of them are not safe.
It is dangerous for the children (or anyone else) to look at the Sun.
Light sticks:
If the outer casing of a light stick is punctured the fluid is hazardous because it:
may contain tiny shards of glass
should not be in contact with eyes
should not be ingested
can cause irritation
may cause an allergic reaction
may stain clothing, skin etc and should be washed off with soap at once.
Light sticks cannot be reactivated once the chemical reaction has ceased and
should be disposed of so that small children cannot have access to them.
Mirrors
Make sure that mirrors do not have sharp edges.
When using the large mirror hold it personally and do not ask the children
to help.
Use plastic mirrors if possible for group work.
Do not reflect sunlight with mirrors. If sunlight is reflected into a child’s
eye it can cause damage.
Fasten the colour disc to the mixer or fan securely so that it does not fly off.
The Christmas tree lights are connected to the mains electricity supply and so
should not really be handled by anyone while powered. To make this safe (and to
emphasise the risk) the hand holding the lights should be protected by wearing a
rubber washing-up glove.