Students are introduced to the properties and characteristics of waves and apply these to light phenomena. Have students use Slinkies to investigate and compare the properties of transverse, longitudinal, and torsional waves. Working in small groups, students use ripple tanks to investigate reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference and relate results orally or through lab reports. Have students construct and use pinhole cameras to create photographs that may be displayed in the classroom, school, or school newspaper. Ask students to investigate the Doppler effect by using a moving sound source.
Students use one or more sources of sound to investigate reflection, refraction, and interference.
Arrange field trips to a sound studio, radio station, or fibre optics facility. Have students collect information and report on careers and training in these areas. Invite a law enforcement official to the class to demonstrate police radar and describe how it is used. Have students determine how computerized circuitry measures the Doppler shift. Students research and report to the class on common applications of polarization, such as calculator displays, sunglasses, stress analysis, and camera filters.