Explore Light and Optics! With 25 Great Projects

CONTENTS Timeline . . . iv Introduction . . . 1 What Are Light and Optics?

Chapter 1 . . . 17 Light From the Sun Chapter 2 . . . 31 Color Play Chapter 3 . . . 45 Eye-mazing!

Chapter 4 . . . 58 Op-Tech Chapter 5 . . . 70 Create with Light Glossary * Metric Conversions Resources * Essential Questions * Index

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KE YW OR D PR OM PTS light and optics

CHAPTER 1

LIGHT FROM THE SUN The brightest star in the sky is the sun. We need it for many things on Earth. The sun is the main source of energy for every living creature on our planet. It gives us light and keeps us warm. It powers the seasons and the planet’s climate. Our climate system includes all the planet’s land, air, water, ice, and living things.

WORDS TO KNOW climate: the average weather patterns in an area during a long period of time.

For many thousands of years, people have used the sun’s light and heat.

They created traditions about it and explanations for how it came to be.

17

EXPLORE LIGHT and OPTICS myth: a story about make-

believe creatures that people once believed were real.

legend: a story that is

?

INVESTIGATE!

partly based on a true historical event or person.

culture: the beliefs and

behavior of a particular group of people.

Haida: a native group of

people living mostly in the Pacific Northeast.

supernatural: beings,

objects, or events that cannot be explained.

How did ancient cultures show the importance of the sun to their survival?

How do today’s cultures show this?

Before science was developed enough to explain the structure of the sun, ancient peoples turned to myths and legends . For some cultures, the sun was a god racing across the sky. Others believed it to be a campfire lit daily to keep the people of the earth warm.

The Haida of the Pacific Northwest tell a story of the sky chief and the Raven. The sky chief once kept a special yellow ball that was the sun in a box. One day, the Raven stole the beautiful ball to bring light into the world.

WORDS TO KNOW

Aboriginal tribes in Australia also believed that supernatural events created the sun. One of their stories tells of the Rainbow Serpent, which not only made the land, rivers, and lakes, but also the sun, fire, and colors.

THEN

their homes to keep them warm.

NOW: Germany is a leader in using solar energy. The country’s

solar plants produce more than 6 percent of its electrical needs.

18

NOW

THEN: The ancient Greeks used mirrors to direct the sun’s rays into

&

LIGHT FROM THE SUN obelisk: a four-sided

tapered stone tower.

SUN WORSHIP

pharaoh: the title for an ancient Egyptian king.

In some cultures, the sun was an important part of religious beliefs. From TO the Middle East to North America, people built temples and monuments in honor of it. Ancient Egyptians constructed massive, towering monuments called obelisks that were symbols of the sun god, Ra. A reflective metal that covered the top of an obelisk caught the first rays of light each morning.

WORDS KNOW

Obelisks were built to show the awesome power of the sun god. They were a monument to the divine power of the pharaoh .

In Egypt, the pharaoh was thought of as a living god. Myths explaining the daily cycle of light and darkness tell of Ra and a crew of gods and goddesses sailing across the sky in a golden boat. At night, the journey continued in the underworld.

MEET A LIGH

IONEER !

TP

GALILEO GALILEI Italian scientist and inventor Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) built his first telescope in 1609. He used it to study Earth’s moon and four of Jupiter’s moons. Based on his observations, Galileo determined that the planets rotate around the sun.

Up until then, everyone thought the planets circled the earth.

19

EXPLORE LIGHT and OPTICS

in ancient Scandinavia.

Scandinavia: the countries

of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Aztecs: a Native American people who established an empire in central Mexico.

D

SUN UP I N

K Y? S un b e a m

SURYA’S CHARIOT In the thirteenth century, Indians built the temple of Konârak on the Bay of Bengal in the shape of Surya’s chariot. The chariot is being pulled by seven horses, though only six remain today. The temple features 24 wheels carved with symbols for the seasons and months.

Watch this UNESCO video on the temple.

KE YW OR D PR OM PTS eo UNESCO sun temple vid

20

T

ES

During the thirteenth century, the Aztecs in central Mexico worshiped Huitzilopochtli, god of the sun and war. The god’s name means “hummingbird of the south.” The Aztecs made daily human sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli because they believed that the god had to be fed daily!

HE ST

H

WORDS TO KNOW

OL

Norse: people who lived

Several cultures told stories about sun gods traveling across the sky. In India, legends tell of a sun god, Surya, who rides across the sky in a horse-drawn chariot . Greek myths speak of Apollo, a god who does the same thing. The Norse of Scandinavia imagined the sun and moon riding in chariots as evil wolves chased after them.

WHAT H

chariot: a vehicle pulled by horses used by ancient Greeks and Romans for races and in battle.

s!

LIGHT FROM THE SUN

SUN POWER

element: a pure substance whose atoms are all the same. It cannot be broken down into a simpler substance. Everything in the universe is made up of elements and combinations of elements. Oxygen, gold, hydrogen, and helium are elements.

Today, scientists use telescopes and spacecraft to uncover the sun’s secrets. The largest solar instrument in the world is found outside Tucson, Arizona. The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope is 100 feet high and includes TO a 200-foot shaft that slants away from the telescope into the ground. It has been used to study the sun since 1962.

WORDS KNOW

Researchers have learned a lot about the sun. The sun is a giant in our solar system. Almost 1,300,000 earths could fit inside it.

Yet the sun is considered to be just average in size 2% OTHER for a star.

Our sun is a burning globe of gases.

These gases are 70 percent hydrogen, 28% HELIUM 28 percent helium, and 2 percent other elements. It might seem as though the sun never changes, but the hydrogen there is constantly converting into helium, which produces energy and light.

70% HYDROGEN

It takes sunlight eight minutes to travel the 93,000,000 miles to the earth, even traveling at the incredible speed of 186,000 miles per second.

Not all of this energy reaches us. Clouds and ice reflect some of the sun’s light back into space. About 70 percent is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, land, and sea.

21

EXPLORE LIGHT and OPTICS photosynthesis: the process

in which plants use light energy, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

The sun fuels nearly all life on the earth. Plants turn the sun’s energy into TO food by a process called photosynthesis .

The word comes from the Greek language meaning “light” and “put together.” There are many steps and chemical reactions involved in photosynthesis.

WORDS KNOW

Plants absorb water and minerals from the ground through their roots up to the leaves. During the day, the leaves collect energy from sunlight. Photons from the sun are absorbed by tiny cells on the green parts of a plant, such as its leaves or stem. These cells are like miniature factories where light, carbon dioxide, and water are combined to make glucose and oxygen.

OXYGEN Carbon dioxide is a gas ENERGY that plants get from the air. Glucose is a sugar that plants use for food.

Through photosynthesis, plants grow. Animals eat the plants, and we eat both plants and animals. That means, without the sun, life as we know it would not be here.

22

CO2

GLUCOSE PLANT CELL WATER FROM THE SOIL

LIGHT FROM THE SUN evaporation: the process

THE WATER CYCLE The earth’s water moves from land and ocean to sky and back again in a process called the water cycle. Without the sun’s energy, the water cycle would not work.

of a liquid heating up and changing into a gas, such as water vapor.

molecule: a very small

particle made of combinations of atoms.

transpiration: the process

by which a plant pulls water up through its roots, which then collects on its leaves and evaporates into the atmosphere.

Water absorbs energy from the sun in a process called evaporation . When water evaporates, it changes from a TO liquid to a gas called water vapor. You cannot see water vapor because it is invisible. To understand how evaporation happens, think about the fact that water is made of incredibly tiny molecules . Each drop of water contains millions of molecules, but your eyes are not able to see them.

WORDS KNOW

Water evaporates at all temperatures, but it speeds up as the temperature rises. This is because heat energy makes molecules move faster and faster.

Some of those water molecules move fast enough to change from a liquid to a gas. Think about a rain puddle after a storm. The puddle does Did You not stay on the ground forever. Some of this Know? water seeps into the ground and some water molecules rise into the air as water vapor.

If all the water vapor

fell at the same time, it

The world’s oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers would cover the earth provide 90 percent of the water vapor in the with only 1 inch of water. atmosphere. Some water also moves into the air through the leaves of plants and trees. This process is called transpiration .

23

EXPLORE LIGHT and OPTICS

CONDENSATION

PRECIPITATION

EVAPORATION

Once in the air, the wind spreads the water vapor throughout the atmosphere. Water vapor doesn’t stay in the air very long.

Within several days, it cools to form tiny droplets. This is called condensation . The tiny droplets fall to Earth as precipitation . The temperature decides whether this precipitation falls as rain, sleet, or snow.

Most precipitation collects in the oceans because oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet. Some precipitation flows off the land into lakes, rivers, and streams. Water that sinks into the ground becomes groundwater. And the process begins again. The water cycle wouldn’t be possible without the light TO from the sun! condensation: the

WORDS KNOW

process of a gas cooling down and changing into a liquid.

precipitation: water in

the air in any form, such as snow, hail, or rain, that falls to the ground.

24

?

INVESTIGATE!

It’s time to consider and discuss: How did ancient cultures show the importance of the sun to their survival? How do today’s cultures show this?

SUPPLIES

PROJECT!

**paper and pencil **ruler

SUN MYTHS In this activity, you will research sun myths from two different cultures. With the help of an adult, use appropriate online sites or books from your library.

You can find useful information at these sites.

1

Create a chart. Fold a sheet of printer paper in half lengthways. Gently press along the seam and unfold. Use your ruler to draw a line along the crease. Now divide the paper horizontally into four even spaces.

KE YW OR D PR OM PTS teacher scholastic myths American folklore myths

2

Go online or to a library and research two sun myths. One should be from a Native American tribe.

3

Write the name of each myth at the top of the chart. Write your answers to these questions on the chart.

• Who created the sun in the myths?

• How was the sun placed in the sky?

• If humans or animals were part of the story, what was their relationship to the sun?

4

For the last space, draw a picture for each myth. Think about how the myths are the same. How are they different?

TRY THIS! You can try making up your myth about how the sun

formed. Share your myth with a friend.

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PROJECT!

MEASURING THE SPEED OF LIGHT Galileo had to travel to a hilltop to try to measure the speed of light. You can measure the speed of light in your kitchen. Have an adult help you with the microwave.

SUPPLIES **science journal and pencil **large microwavable plate **3 to 4 processed cheese slices **microwave **metric ruler

1

Before you begin the experiment, start a scientific method worksheet in your science journal. What is your hypothesis about what will happen to the cheese slices when they are put in the microwave? Why?

2

Remove the spinning plate from inside the microwave and place to one side.

3

Place one layer of cheese slices on a microwavable dinner plate.

4

Place the plate with the cheese inside the microwave and heat on low until just melted. Watch carefully.

5

Take the plate out of the microwave. There should be spots where the cheese melted and areas where it didn’t melt. Take the ruler and measure the shortest distance between the hot spots in centimeters. Record this number in your journal.

26

PROJECT! 6

This number is the measurement of half a wavelength.

You will have to multiply this number by two to discover the length of an entire wavelength.

Write this number down. measurement × 2 = wavelength centimeters × 2 = centimeters wavelength

7

Look on the back of your microwave or in the manual to discover its frequency. Most microwaves operate at 2,450 megahertz, or 2,450,000,000 hertz.

8

To find the speed of light, multiply the frequency (2,450,000,000) by the wavelength.

Frequency of microwave × wavelength (distance between hotspots × 2) = centimeters per second (speed of light) 2,450,000,000 hertz × centimeters = centimeters per second

9

The speed of light is usually given in meters. The actual speed of light is 299,792,458 meters/second. To convert your answer to meters, divide it by 100. Were your calculations close?

TRY THIS! Try this experiment with different food, such as chocolate

or egg whites. Try measuring the distance between several heat spots. Do you come up with similar answers each time?

27

PROJECT!

THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

SUPPLIES **science journal **pencil **large glass jug **green leaf

You are always breathing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. You can tell people are breathing by watching their chests move up and down as their lungs expand and deflate. In this experiment, you will observe how a leaf breathes.

1

Start a scientific method worksheet. What do you think will happen to the leaf when it is put under the water? Why? Write your hypothesis in your science journal.

2

Fill the jug with hot water. Place the leaf in the jug.

3

Over the next four hours, watch your leaf and write down your observations in your science journal. Was you hypothesis correct?

Did anything about your experiment surprise you?

WHAT’S HAPPENING? During

transpiration, the leaf expels water vapor and oxygen through tiny holes called the stomata. What do you see forming on the leaf when it’s underwater? Why? Did one side have more air bubbles than the other? If so, can you think of a reason for this? Do you think your experiment would turn out differently if you used cold water?

Why or why not? Try it!

28

PROJECT!

MAKE AN OBELISK In ancient Egypt, obelisks held commanding positions at the entrance to temples. Now it is your turn to design and create a paper obelisk.

1

SUPPLIES **large piece of craft paper or cereal box **pencil **ruler **colored pencils **glue

Lay the paper or cardboard flat on a table.

2

Using your ruler and pencil, draw a row of four 2-by-9-inch pencil-like shapes for the obelisk.

Between each shape, draw a dotted line to represent the fold line. Add a quarter inch to one end for the last fold.

3

Carefully cut around the entire drawing. On each shape, write down one fact that you have learned about the sun from this chapter or draw a picture about this fact.

4

Next, press along the fold lines to form the obelisk. Glue the last fold to the first. If you want, create a square base for the obelisk from extra craft paper. Display your obelisk in your room.

29

PROJECT!

CREATE A MINI WATER CYCLE The earth’s water is always changing between a liquid and a gas and a solid. In this experiment, you can observe the change that happens between a liquid and a gas.

1

Place the dirt with grass at the bottom of your container. Next to the dirt, create a mini pond out of the foil.

SUPPLIES **clear container with lid **small piece of dirt with grass growing on it **foil **water **spray bottle **science journal **pencil

2

Fill the pond halfway with water. Spray the sod with water and put the lid back on the container

3

Place the container by a window that receives a lot of sunlight.

4

In your science journal, write down your observations. What happens to the sod? To the pond? What happens on the sides of the container?

TRY THIS! • Measure the amount of water in your pond each day. Graph your results into a bar graph. You can use this site to present your findings: nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph.

• Create a second experiment by placing your container in a shady location. Compare your results.

30

GLOSSARY A

aether: an unknown material that some people once believed filled space. acronym: a word that is formed from

the first letters in each word of a phrase. The word laser is an example.

atmosphere: the blanket of air surrounding the earth. aurora australis: The southern lights. aurora borealis: The northern lights. aurora: a natural display of shimmering light and color in the night sky.

Aztecs: a Native American people

who established an empire in central Mexico.

B

BCE: put after a date, BCE stands for Before Common Era and counts years down to zero. CE stands for Common Era and counts years up from zero.

This book was published in 2016 CE. bioluminescent: when living things give off light by hosting a chemical reaction in their bodies.

C

camera obscura: a box with a

convex lens used for projecting an image onto a flat surface.

chariot: a vehicle pulled by horses

used by ancient Greeks and Romans for races and in battle.

climate: the average weather patterns in an area during a long period of time.

concave: curved inward like the inside of a bowl or a cave.

condensation: the process of a gas cooling down and changing into a liquid.

convex: curved outward like the outside of a bowl. cornea: the outermost layer of the eye.

crystalline lens: the invisible lens in front of the retina that focuses light rays.

culture: the beliefs and behavior of a particular group of people.

D

daguerreotype: a process used to

produce photographs on thin metal plates.

diode: an electronic part that limits the flow of current to one direction.

E

eclipse: when a planet or other body

in space is hidden by another body in space.

electricity: a form of energy that results from the interaction of electrically charged particles.

electromagnetic: one of the

fundamental forces of the universe, which is responsible for magnetic attraction and electrical charges.

electromagnetic spectrum: the entire range of electromagnetic waves. electron: a particle in an atom with a negative charge.

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GLOSSARY element: a pure substance whose

atoms are all the same. It cannot be broken down into a simpler substance.

Everything in the universe is made up of elements and combinations of elements. Oxygen, gold, hydrogen, and helium are elements.

evaporation: the process of a liquid heating up and changing into a gas, such as water vapor.

F

filament: a very fine wire or thread.

In an electric bulb the filament glows when heated by a current.

fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas.

These non-renewable energy sources come from the fossils of plants and tiny animals that lived millions of years ago.

G

gamma ray: short electromagnetic

waves.

Gothic Period: a period of time from

the twelfth to sixteenth centuries.

A style of architecture that features pointed arches was popular during the Gothic period.

gravity: a physical force that pulls

objects toward the center of the earth.

H

Haida: a native group of people living mostly in the Pacific Northeast.

heliography: a process using sunlight to recreate permanent images.

hologram: a special kind of picture

produced by a laser that looks threedimensional.

84

hyperopia: when a person cannot clearly see objects that are close.

I

illuminated: describes an object that can reflect light to our eyes.

Impressionist: an artist who uses dabs or strokes of color to look like actual reflected light. incandescent: a source of electric

light that works by heating a filament.

infrared: an invisible type of light with a longer wavelength than visible light, which can also be felt as heat.

L

legend: a story that is partly based on a true historical event or person.

lens: a piece of curved glass that

can bend light to form an image that appears larger or smaller than the original object.

luminous: describes an object that gives out its own light.

M

magnetism: the attracting and

repelling force that results from the motion of electrically charged particles.

magnetosphere: an area in space

around the earth that is controlled by the earth’s magnetic field.

microwave: an electromagnetic wave that we use to heat food.

mirage: something that is not as it

seems, such as when a distant object is seen inverted by reflection and distorted.

GLOSSARY molecule: a very small particle made of combinations of atoms.

myopia: when a person cannot clearly see objects that are at a distance. myth: a story about make-believe

creatures that people once believed were real.

N

Norse: people who lived in ancient Scandinavia.

O

obelisk: a four-sided tapered stone tower.

photosynthesis: the process in which

plants use light energy, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen.

photovoltaic: technology used to convert sunlight into electricity. pixels: the small dots that make up a digital image.

precipitation: water in the air in any

form, such as snow, hail, or rain, that falls to the ground.

prism: a solid, often made of glass, that is used to split light.

properties: the unique characteristics

optical fiber: glass or plastic threads

of something.

that transmit information in the form of light.

prosthetic: relating to an artificial

optical illusion: a trick of the eyes

pupil: the dark center in the middle of

that makes people see something differently than it really is.

optic nerve: the part of the eye that sends messages from the retina to the brain. optics: the science of visible and

invisible light.

P

particle: a very tiny part of something. pharaoh: the title for an ancient Egyptian king. phosphors: a material that glows. photon: a particle of light that travels

in waves.

body part.

your eye that changes size to control how much light enters.

Q

quantum physics: an area of physics

founded on the idea that light energy is made of different packets of energy.

R

radio wave: an electromagnetic wave used to transmit radio and television signals and for navigation.

reflection: when light hits an object and bounces off it.

refraction: when the direction of light

changes.

Renaissance: a creative period of

time in Europe, from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries.

85

GLOSSARY renewable energy: a form of energy

that doesn’t get used up, including the energy of the sun and the wind.

light travels, which is 186,000 miles per second.

retina: the light-sensitive lining of the

supernatural: beings, objects, or

eyeball.

S

Scandinavia: the countries of Sweden,

events that cannot be explained.

T

transpiration: the process by which a

sensor: a device that is sensitive to

plant pulls water up through its roots, which then collects on its leaves and evaporates into the atmosphere.

shadow: a dark area created when light is blocked by an object.

ultraviolet: a kind of light with short

Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

light.

solar wind: a flow of electrically

charged particles from the sun.

spectrum: in optics, a separation of color.

METRIC CONVERSIONS Use this chart to find the metric equivalents to the English measurements in this book. If you need to know a half measurement, divide by two. If you need to know twice the measurement, multiply by two. How do you find a quarter measurement? How do you find three times the measurement?

86

speed of light: the speed at which

U

wavelengths. It can’t be seen with the naked eye.

X

X-rays: radiation that allows doctors to see your bones.

English

Metric

1 inch

2.5 centimeters

1 foot

30.5 centimeters

1 yard

0.9 meter

1 mile

1.6 kilometers

1 pound

0.5 kilogram

1 teaspoon

5 milliliters

1 tablespoon

15 milliliters

1 cup

237 milliliters

RESOURCES WEBSITES MIKIDS.com Simple Machines: mikids.com/Smachines.htm BBC Bitesize: Light: bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/physical_processes/light/read/1 International Year of Light: light2015.org Exploratorium: exploratorium.edu/snacks Light Science for Kids: interior-deluxe.com/light-science-for-kids.html Optics 4 Kids: optics4kids.org SPIE: spie.org/education/education-outreach-resources/hands-on-optics Stanford Solar Center: solar-center.stanford.edu

BOOKS A Kid’s Book of Experiments with Light (Surprising Science Experiments). Gardner, Robert. Enslow Publishing, 2016.

A Project Guide to Light and Optics (Physical Science Projects for Kids). Kessler, Colleen. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2011.

Experiments in Light and Sound with Toys and Everyday Stuff (Fun Science). Rompella, Natalie. Capstone Press, 2015.

Eye: How It Works. Macaulay, David. David Macaulay Studio, 2013.

Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World. Jenkins, Steve.

HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014.

Hands-On Science: Sound and Light. Challoner, Jack. Kingfisher, 2013.

Playing With Light and Shadows (First Step Nonfiction: Light and Sound). Boothroyd, Jennifer. Lerner, 2014.

Tabletop Scientist—The Science of Light: Projects and Experiments with Light and Color. Parker, Steve. Dover Publications, 2013.

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RESOURCES QR CODE GLOSSARY Page 5: ibnalhaytham.com Page 7: phys.org/news/2015-03-particle.html Page 14: timeanddate.com Page 20: whc.unesco.org/en/list/246/video Page 25: teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/myths.htm Page 25: americanfolklore.net/folklore/myths-legends Page 33: newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/prism.php?id=1 Page 37: nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/aurora-videos/index.html Page 39: montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson06/l6la2.htm Page 51: youtube.com/watch?v=pWk0cNAnC0c Page 53: hubblesite.org/gallery Page 61: solarcar.stanford.edu Page 71: nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg86/gg86-main1.html Page 73: youtube.com/watch?v=PM-2Plu-DYc Page 74: hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/kids/#top Page 75: nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/photography/ photos/milestones-photography/color-tartan-ribbon/ Page 76: loc.gov/collection/edison-company-motion-picturesand-sound-recordings/about-this-collection Page 81: ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/evolution-of-eyes-text

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Introduction: How do you think the ancient Greeks explained why people could not see in the dark?

Chapter 1: How did ancient cultures show the importance of the sun to their survival? How do today’s cultures show this?

Chapter 2: If light contains all colors, then why does a blue bike look blue?

Chapter 3: What do you think it was like to be the first person to see the night sky through a telescope?

Chapter 4: What do you use every day that requires light?

Chapter 5: What are some ways people use light to make art and technology?

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INDEX A

activities (Project!)

Acronym Jumble, 66 Create a Magnifying Glass, 56 Create a Mini Water Cycle, 30 Create a Photo Exhibit, 80–81 Create a Rainbow, 40 Create Fun House Mirrors, 55 The Dizzy Grid, 54 Experiment with Light Sticks, 43 Explore Lightning, 44 Find Your Blind Spot, 57 How Light Travels, 12–13 Ice Hot, 68 Light Encounters, 16 Make an Obelisk, 29 Make a Periscope, 52–53 Make a Spinning Color Wheel, 41 Make a Sunset, 42 Measuring the Speed of Light, 26–27 The Process of Photosynthesis, 28 Sky Painting, 78–79 Sun Myths, 25 The Sun Versus a Lamp, 67 Tea Time, 69 Tracking the Sun’s Movements, 14–15 Word Game, 82 Alhazen, iv, 4–5 animals and insects, 2, 3, 22, 39, 51, 81 art. See visual arts auroras, 31, 35–37

B

bending light, iv, 1, 4, 7, 33, 34, 38–39, 48, 65

C

climate, weather, and seasons, 2, 17, 24

colors auroras of, 31, 35–37 heat absorption affected by, 68 light made of, 5, 31–44 mirages of, 31, 37–39 rainbows of, 31, 34, 40 scattering creating, 32–33 sunrises and sunsets of, 31, 33, 42 visual arts using, 70–71, 72–73, 75, 78–79, 81 communication, v, 3, 9, 58, 63, 77 concave and convex surfaces, 48, 49, 50, 56

D

Daguerre, Louis, iv, 74

E

Eastman, George, v, 74 eclipses, 4, 10 Edison, Thomas, iv, 60–61, 75–76 Einstein, Albert, v, 7 electricity electrically charged particles, 36–37 electromagnetism, iv–v, 8–9 light bulbs powered by, iv, 59, 61–62 lightning and static electricity, 44 solar power for, 18, 58–61 television images using, v, 76 eyes blind spot of, 57 eyeglasses and vision correction for, 46, 48–49, 50 light detected by, iv, 5, 38, 45–57, 81 light emitted by, iv, 4 microscopes assisting, iv, v, 49–50, 51 optical illusions tricking, 38, 47–48, 49, 54 (see also mirages)

structure and function of, iv, 46–47, 81 telescopes assisting, iv, v, 19, 21, 50–51, 53, 65

F

Farnsworth, Philo T., v, 76 fiber optics, v, 3, 63 fire, 3, 12 fireflies, 3, 39

G

Galilei, Galileo, 10, 14, 19, 51 gamma rays, 8, 9

H

holograms, v, 66 Hubble Space Telescope, v, 53

I

illuminated objects, 3, 79 Impressionist art, 71, 78–79 infrared light, iv, 8, 9

J

Janssen, Hans and Zacharias, iv, 50

K

Kao, Charles K., v, 63 Kepler, Johannes, iv, 7

L

lasers, v, 31, 64–65, 66, 73, 77, 79 lenses, iv, v, 5, 33, 47, 49–51, 75 light and optics history of, iv–v illuminated objects from, 3, 79 importance of, 1–3 light particles, v, 5–7, 36–37 light waves, v, 5–9, 15, 32–33, 64 luminous objects producing, 3, 39, 42 (see also fire; sun) questions on, 11, 24, 39, 51, 65, 77

89

INDEX reflection and refraction of, iv, 5, 38, 51, 52 scientific study of, 2, 3–11 speed of light, iv, 9–10, 14–15, 21 sun producing. See sun technology using. See optical technology visual arts with. See visual arts light bulbs, iv, 59, 61–62 light-emitting diodes (LEDs), 59, 61 lightning, 44 Lippershey, Hans, iv, 50 luminous objects, 3, 39, 42 (see also fire; sun)

M

magnetism, iv–v, 8–9, 36–37 magnification, 49, 56 (see also microscopes; telescopes) Maxwell, James Clerk, iv–v, 8, 75 microscopes, iv, v, 49–50, 51 microwaves, v, 8, 9, 14–15 mirages, 31, 37–39 mirrors, 3, 5, 18, 40, 47–48, 51, 52–53, 55, 65 moving pictures, 70, 75–76, 81

light bulbs as, iv, 59, 61–62 light-emitting diodes as, 59, 61 solar cars using, 60–61 solar power as, 18, 58–61, 67–69 uses of, 58, 77

P

paintings, 70–71, 78–79 photography, iv, v, 58, 70, 73–75, 80–81 photosynthesis, 22, 28 plants, 2, 22, 23, 28, 39, 42 prisms, 33, 34 (see also bending light) projects. See activities (Project!)

R

radio waves, 8, 9 rainbows, 31, 34, 40 reflection and refraction, iv, 5, 38, 51, 52 Ritter, Johann Wilhelm, iv, 35 Ross, John, 37, 39

S

Seneca, 49, 56 shadows, 5, 7, 80 speed of light, iv, 9–10, 14–15, 21 N stained glass windows, 70, Newton, Isaac, iv, 5, 33, 51 72–73 Niépce, Joseph, iv, 74 sun O cultural beliefs about, 18–20, optical illusions, 38, 47–48, 49, 25 54 (see also mirages) eclipse of, 4 optical technology (see also heat from, 17–18, 67–69 microscopes; telescopes) light from, 1, 4, 5, 17–30, digital photography as, 58, 75 31–33, 36–38, 42, 58–61, fiber optics as, v, 3, 63 67–69, 71, 74, 78–79 holograms using, v, 66 photosynthesis from, 22, 28 invisibility or camouflage planets rotating around, 19 technology as, v, 65 solar cars powered by, 60–61 lasers as, v, 31, 64–65, 66, 73, solar power from, 18, 21, 77, 79 58–61, 67–69

90

solar wind from, 36–37 sunrise and sunset of, 5, 26–27, 31, 33, 42 visual arts with light from, 71, 74, 78–79 water cycle role of, 23–24, 30 Swan, Joseph Wilson, iv, 60

T

technology. See optical technology telescopes, iv, v, 19, 21, 50–51, 53, 65 television, v, 9, 59, 62, 76, 77 timeline, iv–v

U

ultraviolet light, iv, 8, 9, 35, 81

V

visible light, 7, 8, 46 visual arts light and optics inspiring, iv, v, 58, 70–76, 78–82 moving pictures as, 70, 75–76, 81 paintings as, 70–71, 78–79 photography as, iv, v, 58, 70, 73–75, 80–81 stained glass windows as, 70, 72–73

W

water magnification using, 49, 56 photosynthesis with, 22, 28 rainbows from prisms of, 31, 34, 40 water cycle, 23–24, 30

X

X-rays, v, 8, 9

Y

Young, Thomas, 6

Children’s Activity • Education Resource

focus on science

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT LIGHT. WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE? DARK, COLD, AND LIFELESS! WE NEED LIGHT TO SEE, TO GROW, AND EVEN TO LIVE. WHAT IS LIGHT? WHY ARE OPTICS IMPORTANT? In Explore Light and Optics! With 25 Great Projects, readers ages 7–10 discover how light works, how it shapes our world, and why we depend on it for survival. * Readers learn about wave theory, sound, light, the electromagnetic spectrum, and optics.

* Explains the importance of the sun, natural light phenomena, and light’s role in the water cycle and photosynthesis.

* Children gain an understanding of how the human eye translates light into visualized objects.

* Introduces readers to major figures in the field of light and optics.

AGES: 7–10 GUIDED READING LEVEL: W

“Explore Light and Optics! is an excellent introductory text for children to the field of optics. It provides a balance between scientific concept and history presented at an appropriate level. In addition, the included experiments are cleverly constructed and with a little extra investigation demonstrate some very fundamental aspects of the nature of light.”

—Samuel L. Nerenberg, Doctoral Candidate of Optical Sciences

PRAISE FOR OTHER BOOKS BY ANITA YASUDA Astronomy: Cool Women in Space “An engaging and inspirational addition to a genre in significant need of quality publications for young women and girls. I will be happily recommending this book to every aspiring astronomer who visits the Adler!”

—Dr. Laura Trouille, Astronomer, the Adler Planetarium and Northwestern University Explore Flight! With 25 Great Projects 2013 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book Award

Explore Natural Resources! With 25 Great Projects “ The hands-on nature of the activities, age-appropriate text, and inclusion of high-interest examples and sidebars make this a great primer on a timely topic for the classroom, library, or home bookshelf.”

—Booklist