http://www.oercommons.org/browse/keyword/electromagnetic-spectrum daily 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.oercommons.org/courses/physics-phys-100-non-science-majors This is a course for non-science majors that is a survey of the central concepts in physics relating everyday experiences with the principles and laws in physics on a conceptual level. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe basic principles of motion and state the law of inertia; Predict the motion of an object by applying Newtonęs laws when given the mass, a force, the characteristics of motion and a duration of time; Summarize the law of conservation of energy and explain its importance as the fundamental principle of energy as a –law of nature”; Explain the use of the principle of Energy conservation when applied to simple energy transformation systems; Define the Conservation of Energy Law as the 1st Law of Thermodynamics and State 2nd Law of Thermodynamics in 3 ways; Outline the limitations and risks associated with current societal energy practices,and explore options for changes in energy policy for the next century and beyond; Describe physical aspects of waves and wave motion; and explain the production of electromagnetic waves, and distinguish between the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Science and Technology 2013-05-03T11:52:08 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/electromagnetic-spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum* describes the range of energies associated with different forms of electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation travels through space as discrete packets called photons. Photons can transport energy the way particles do, but photons have no mass*. Photons vary in the amount of energy they carry. The energy associated with a photon determines where on the electromagnetic spectrum it falls. Science Primer - Andrew Staroscik Science and Technology 2013-03-05T08:56:34 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/rainbow-in-the-room This activity generates learner excitement about light through the creation of a room-sized rainbow. Learners also make their own "rainbow" drawings that incorporate the sequence of colors they observe. For a dramatic effect, set up rainbow projection while learners are out of the room. This activity guide includes background information and variation ideas. Barbara Z. Tharp Judith Dresden Nancy P. Moreno Science and Technology 2013-01-02T14:02:04 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/nanoparticle-stained-glass In this activity/demo, learners are introduced to the connection between medieval stained glass artisans and nanotechnology. Learners discover that the red and yellow colors in stained glass windows come from nanoparticles of gold and silver embedded in the glass. This activity/demo consists of two hands-on activities: making a collaborative stained glass window with pre-made nanoparticle solutions containing silver or gold and making a take-away card that contains a small piece of nanoparticle stained Ňglass." Science and Technology 2013-01-02T12:10:24 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/invisible-sunblock-2 This is a hands-on activity exploring how nanoscale particles are used in mineral sunblocks to increase their transparency. Learners compare nano and non-nano sunblocks to a visual representation of the effect of particle size on visibility. Science and Technology 2013-01-02T12:10:24 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/nuclear-fusion This simple and engaging astronomy activity explains nuclear fusion and how radiation is generated by stars, using marshmallows as a model. Learners will explore what cosmic radiation is and where it comes from, and how the elements in the universe are generated. The PDF contains step-by-step instructions, photos, presentation tips, links to background information, and a printable Periodic Table of the Elements. Science and Technology 2012-12-19T10:05:38 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/polarized-light-mosaic In this activity, learners use transparent tape and polarizing material to create and project beautifully colored patterns reminiscent of abstract or geometric stained glass windows--no glass required! Learners discover that rotating the polarizer as they view the patterns causes the colors to change. With a little creativity, learners can also create colorful renditions of objects or scenes. Use this activity to introduce learners to concepts related to light and optics including polarization, index of refraction, and wavelengths. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:45:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/colored-shadows In this optics activity, learners discover that not all shadows are black. Learners explore human color perception by using colored lights to make additive color mixtures. With three colored lights, learners can make shadows of seven different colors. They can also explore how to make shadows of individual colors, including black. Use this activity demonstrate how receptors in the retina of the eye work to see color. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:45:36 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/hot-spot In this activity, learners explore the invisible infrared radiation from an electric heater. Though we can't see the radiation with our eyes, learners can focus it with a mirror or lens and feel the warmth it produces on their hand. This activity also helps learners understand how parabolic shapes concentrate energy. Learners can explore focusing sound waves as well by talking close into the mirror and then moving away. This activity requires adult supervision. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:45:34 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/how-to-build-a-spectroscope In this activity, learners use simple materials and diffraction grating to construct a spectroscope. The spectroscope allows learners to see and compare the spectra produced by different light sources. This resource includes audio clips from Marco and Vivian, who explain how to build the spectroscope and information about how it works. Adult assistance recommended. Neil Fetter Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:34:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/spectra Learners construct a spectroscope out of a shoe box or mailing tube, diffraction grating, and other simple materials. They then use their spectroscope to observe spectra, the colors that make up light. Learners compare the spectra of various light sources. Use this activity to introduce learners to basic principles of light and color. Also, look at a related page about auroras to understand how distinguishing spectra of different atoms helps scientists understand the universe. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:34:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/rotating-light In this activity, learners explore what happens when polarized white light passes through a sugar solution. Learners use a relatively simple setup to investigate light polarization and reveal beautiful colors. Learners will discover that the colors change as the depth of the sugar solution changes or as the polarizing filter rotates. Learners can also explore what happens when they place a colored filter under the tube holding the sugar solution and/or try a variety of transparent liquids and solutions (e.g. honey) to test whether some are better than others at changing the direction of polarization. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:34:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/laser-jello In this activity, learners use gelatin as a lens to investigate the properties of laser light. Learners can view total internal reflection of a beam of light and investigate angles of reflection and refraction. Using different colors of gelatin demonstrates its color filtering properties. Use this activity to help learners explore light reflection and refraction, wavelengths, color, and lenses. Heidi Strahm Black Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:34:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/give-and-take In this activity, learners explore liquid crystals, light and temperature. Using a postcard made of temperature-sensitive liquid crystal material, learners monitor temperature changes. By observing these changes, learners show that dark materials absorb and reemit the energy contained in light more readily than light-colored materials. Learners can also distinguish energy absorbed and reemited by radiation, convection, and conduction by comparing the behavior of black, white, and silver objects. This resource guide includes detailed explanation of the phenomenon and background information about liquid crystals. Science and Technology 2012-12-07T13:34:16 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/exploring-structures-2 In this activity, learners investigate how some butterfly wings get their color. Learners compare Buttercup and Blue Morpho butterflies and discover what happens when they shine light at each of them. Learners discover that some wings get their color from the nanoscale structures on the wings instead of pigments. Science and Technology 2012-11-07T13:17:34 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/photolithography In this activity, learners use UV light to transfer a pattern onto a plastic board. The pattern is transferred by placing a mask (a transparency sheet with the pattern) on a plastic board. The board is coated with a copper film that is covered with a light-reactive polymer (photo-resist). The polymer is exposed to UV light through the mask to make a pattern in the polymer. The metal under the exposed polymer is then chemically etched, leaving only the pattern on the surface of the board as determined by the mask. This top-down approach to nanotechnology is commonly used in manufacturing circuit boards for computers and other electronics. Science and Technology 2012-11-07T13:17:32 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/blue-sky In this optics activity, learners explore why the sky is blue and the sunset is red, using a simple setup comprising a transparent plastic box, water, and powdered milk. Learners use a flashlight to shine a beam of light through the container. Learners look at the beam from the side of the container and then from the end of the tank, and compare the colors that they see. Learners also examine a narrower beam of light. Use this activity to introduce learners to the light spectrum, wavelengths, frequency, scattering, and how all this effects what we see in the sky at different times of the day. Science and Technology 2012-11-07T13:17:28 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/light-it-up Through an introduction to the design of lighting systems and the electromagnetic spectrum, students learn about the concept of daylighting as well as two types of light bulbs (lamps) often used in energy-efficient lighting design. Denise W. Carlson Landon B. Gennetten Lauren Cooper Malinda Schaefer Zarske Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/visible-light-and-the-electromagnetic-spectrum In this lesson, the electromagnetic spectrum is explained and students learn that visible light makes up only a portion of this wide spectrum. Students also learn that engineers use electromagnetic waves for many different applications. Abigail Watrous Frank Burkholder Janet Yowell Luke Simmons Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/pictures-please-traveling-light In this lesson, students learn that light travels in a straight line from a light source and that ray diagrams help us understand how an image will be created by a lens. In the accompanying activity, students explore the concepts behind the workings of a pinhole camera. Abigail Watrous Frank Burkholder Janet Yowell Luke Simmons Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials