Gioel Molinari
Sean Cho
David Lam
The project we intend to build will take advantage of the optical properties of a small laser pointer tat is fastened to an optical table. The students will be given a "grab bag" of optics devicess, including mirrors, prisms, lenses, filters, and polarizers that will then be fastened in a modular way to the table by groups of 5-6 students. The students in this way will be able to investigate under guidance many of the different optical effects that can be unveiled by using the components.
The hardware required for the activity is divided into lab units. Each unit, which can
engage up to 6 students, will be comprised of a low-end optical table about 2' x 2' in
dimensions, 2 mounted mirrors, 2 lenses, a polarizing filter, a mylar screen to project
the laser pattern onto, and a glass prism. In addition to this, various mounting
components (L-brackets) will be provided.
A small, low-power laser pointer will be fastened to the table in a non-removable way for
safety reasons. Each group of students will be able to customize their own table for the
experiments that they want to run, using help from an instructional guide book that
accompanies each set.
The activity is designed to engage children aged 13 and 14. We feel that students at this age have the capabilities to appreciate the optical effects illustrated in the lab, and the manual ability to safely build the experiments.
The experiment is designed to let the students decide for themselves which experiment they wish to run, and then by actually assembling the optical apparatus as necessary see the effects that result. This is more interesting to the students than running a fixed setup all the time, and it allows them to build the actual lab. We believe the students will have great satisfaction in seeing the fruits of their labors and the interesting optical effects that can be produced.
In addition to this, the physics behind the experiment can be explained simply in the instructional booklet or by the class teacher. Students will be curious to know the why and how of the effects they create.
We believe our activity is a safe, durable, and portable way to engage a number of students in groups to demonstrate many important physical properties of light.