This video discusses the physics of light using a number of animations and equations to explain the concepts.
Students will learn about constructive and destructive interference, experiments to demonstrate the wave behavior of light, and a number of trigonometry equations to explain the observations.
Teaching Tips
Positives
It is ideal for an advanced placement or upper level class.
The accompanying text and visuals make it easy to follow and understand.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with geometry functions, amplitude, frequency, and wavelength.
Differentiation
This video could be used to explain Huygen's principle in a physics class.
After watching, teachers could have students perform the experiments shown in the video that demonstrate the difference between waves and particles or that show the interference of waves.
A portion of this video could be used in a history class to discuss Thomas Young and his contributions to science.
Teachers could use this video to clarify constructive interference, destructive interference, and path difference.
Scientist Notes
Fascinatingly, light, like the light coming from the Sun, behaves both like a particle and a wave, which gives it very unique properties. This video explains these unique properties of light. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
HS-PS4-1 Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.
HS-PS4-3 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)
Functions: Trigonometric Functions (9-12)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.TF.A.1 Understand radian measure of an angle as the length of the arc on the unit circle subtended by the angle.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.TF.B.5 Choose trigonometric functions to model periodic phenomena with specified amplitude, frequency, and midline.
