Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Atmospheric Optics Concepts
This physics department site features an indexing page for a variety of pages pertaining to atmospheric optics. Topics include rainbows, halos, auroras, mirages, star twinkling, sunsets, green flashes, coronas, and more. Excellent...
Florida State University
Florida State University: Microscopy Primer: Anatomy of the Microscope
The premier web site on the physics of microscopy. Includes several pages and numerous Java applets about microscopes and refraction. Thorough, well-illustrated, interactive, fun, and educational. What more can one ask for?
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12 Exploration Series: Simulations: Physics: Diamond Cut
[Free Registration/Login Required] A simulation investigating why a diamond shines by looking at refraction, reflection, and total internal reflection.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Physical Science: Light and Optics
Students will investigate the properties of light waves. They will learn about the different types of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves, and investigate the phenomena of reflection, refraction, interference, and diffraction.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Diamonds: The Science Behind the Sparkle
This illustrated essay from the NOVA Web site explains why the atomic structure of a diamond slows down light and produces a sparkle more brilliant than from any other colorless substance.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Beginnings of the Telescope
This animated essay from the NOVA Web site examines the design of Galileo's refracting telescope and Sir Isaac Newton's reflecting telescope.
Stanford University
The Daily Martian Weather Report
Brought to you by the Mars Global Surveyor Radio Science Team. Photos, charts and weather reports on the Martian atmosphere. Includes an education outreach program for students and teachers.
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Ology: See the Light
Reflection, refraction, and the colors that make up white light is explored through lab activities after reading a brief background about light energy.
Space Telescope Science Institute
Amazing Space: Telescopes From the Ground Up
Students can investigate the historical development of six different telescopes. The technical aspects of different telescopes are also presented.
University of New South Wales (Australia)
University of New South Wales: School of Physics: Physclips: Geometrical Optics
Physiclips thoroughly presents geometrical optics concepts like rays, refraction, Snell's law, total internal reflection, dispersion, mirrors, and lenses with animations and film clips.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Geometric Optics
An interactive simulation that teaches about refraction, lens, and optics. Students manipulate the focal length of the lens, and move the object, lens, and screen in order to see how the image is affected. This simulation can either be...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Bending Light
Manipulate variables and measure angles as light is refracted in this interactive simulation.
Other
Australian Government: Energy and Change: Light What Is Refraction?
Present eight different activities that can be set up as stations for students to investigate light refraction.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Dispersion
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate the dispersion of light through a prism and solve practice problems involving this phenomenon.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Giant Lens
A discussion of how to make a refraction exhibit using a Fresnel lens. Consists of assembly instructions and a "To do and notice" section.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Geometric Optics
This interactive unit will help students to understand the basics of geometric optics. Learn what happens when light strikes the boundary between two media as well as the difference between a real and virtual image? Also explore the law...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Bending Light
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/light
Here is a large collection of simple science class activities for understanding the physics of light.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. While learning how a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Make That Invisible! Refractive Index Matching
Students determine the refractive index of a liquid with a simple technique using a semi-circular hollow block. Then they predict the refractive index of a material (a Pyrex glass tube) by matching it with the known refractive index of a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bubbles and Biosensors
Students learn that color swirls on the bubble surfaces are caused by refraction. Then they apply this theory to thin films in general, including porous films used in biosensors, listing factors that could change the color that become...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Exploring Light: Absorb, Reflect, Transmit or Refract?
In a hands-on way, students explore light's properties of absorption, reflection, transmission and refraction through various experimental stations within the classroom. To understand absorption, reflection and transmission, they shine...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Tell Me the Odds (Of Cancer)
A seven-lesson unit where students learn the concepts of refraction and interference in order to solve this engineering challenge: In 2013, actress Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy, not because she had been diagnosed with...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Waves and Wave Properties
Learners learn about the types of waves and how they change direction, as well as basic wave properties such as wavelength, frequency, amplitude and speed. During the presentation of lecture information on wave characteristics and...