Hands On Optics, Module Five - Infrared and Ultraviolet Light (LSE)

Description: Where would astronomy be without Galileo and his telescope? Where would physics be without Newton breaking light into its colors with his prism? “My heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky,” wrote William Wordsworth. Where would we humans be without our love affair with rainbows and light? Questions like these are the impetus behind the National Science Foundation-funded program Hands-On Optics: Making an Impact with Light. Hands-On Optics (HOO) brings optics education to middle school students through hands-on activities. We are pleased to be able to bring our modules to schools. The kits were developed by a team from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Optical Society of America, and the International Society for Optical Engineering and were extensively field-tested in classrooms and museums across the country. The NSF has funded the development of six modules, suitable for use in classrooms, after-school programs, or museum settings. Each module focuses on a different area of optics and contains enough material for a class of students to engage in interesting hands-on optics activities. The modules are designed to be exploratory in nature and are inquiry-based. These activities have been classroom tested and are aligned with national science, math and technology standards. Teacher demonstration equipment is also included in each module. Module 5 — Infrared and Ultraviolet Light. Students learn more about the wave nature of light. They visibly see the differences between ultraviolet, infrared and visible light by constructing a model of the electromagnetic spectrum. Students explore applications of infrared light though the use of television remote controls and an infrared thermometer. Ultraviolet beads are used to detect ultraviolet emissions from black lights. The module concludes with a series of activities where students explore various types of luminescence through fluorescent materials and minerals, glow sticks, and surprising substances that exhibit luminescence.