Lesson 2 of 6 · Light Optics

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

Refraction and Refractive Index

🧪Lab Brief #2

Light Optics.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

🤯

Mind = Blown

⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

What You'll Learn

Light bends when it enters a medium where its speed differs. Going into a denser medium it slows and bends towards the normal. The refractive index is the ratio of speeds, and it is why a straw looks broken at the water line.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

rectangular glass block
ray box
protractor
plain paper

Safety First

Glass blocks chip — check for sharp edges before handling.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Trace rays through a rectangular glass block at five angles of incidence, marking entry and exit. Measure the angles inside and outside and calculate the refractive index from the ratio of their sines.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Light entering glass from air bends:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

🎯

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