I’ve Got the Power to ... Bend Light!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

If you were to take a survey of your closest friends and ask them if they like sleeping in a room that has a little bit of light or no light at all, most of them would say they like sleeping in a room with a little bit of light.

There is something about light that everyone enjoys.

• Other than the yellowish glow that it can give off, do you know what "light" is?

Light is a kind of energy called "electromagnetic radiation." In other words, light travels in the form of waves through space from one place to another. It can travel at a rate of 186,000 miles per second, or about 670,000,000 miles per hour (for comparison, the average speed limit for cars in most countries ranges from 45-75 miles per hour). Because of how light travels, it can be blocked, reflected, and even bent.

In this experiment, Dr. Z is going to use water as a lens.

• Can you guess how a lens might control light?

Whenever somone wants to look more closely at something, they might use a magnifying glass, a microscope, or another tool like these.

• But have you ever tried to use water and light to magnify something?

Let’s take a closer look with Dr. Z to learn more!

• Before this lesson, did you know that lenses could bend, or refract, light to make things look bigger?

Now you do! This method of bending light is commonly known as refraction (because the word "refract" means "to change directions"). So forget the magnifying glass; water is the new magnifying tool! However, lenses can bend light in other ways, too.

• Can you think of some other objects you can use to bend light? (Here's a hint: maybe you or someone you know is wearing some right now!)

Continue on to the Got It? section to shed more light on this idea!