UNIT 10 – LIGHT AND COLOR
Name __________________________
“It ain’t easy being green.” - Kermit
Day Topic
1
Review Waves and Sound Test
Homework
2
EM Waves: PhET Radio Waves &
EM Fields
EM Spectrum
Rods and Cones
Relationship Between EM
Wavelength and Objects
Read Book Pages 520-522
3
What is Color?
How R-G-B Cones Work
Additive Color Mixing
Colored Paper and Colored Lights
Subtractive Color Mixing
Colored Shadows
Colored Filters
Review Answers to Color Basics
with R-G-B Colored Lights
Why is the Sky Blue?
Why are Sunsets Red?
Why is Everything Green When I
Scuba Dive?
What Color is a Martian Sunset?
Two Ways to Make Light:
1. Shaking (Accelerating) Charges
2. Charges Falling
Wave Nature of Light:
-Diffraction
-Thin Film Interference
-Polarization Make Your Own Thin
Film Lab
Polarization Lab
Finish Polarization Lab
Test Review
Light and Color Test
EC – Make an EM Spectrum Mnemonic
Make a map of your house, showing 5
items that work by either transmitting
or receiving some frequency of the EM
spectrum. For each item, list:
1. Name of item.
2. Approximate wavelength.
3. Approximate frequency.
Color Basics – 1st Side Only
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Finish Color Basics – Both Sides
Reading
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 2a,b
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 2c,d
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 2e
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 2f
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson
1a,b,c
EM Radiation WS
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 3a,b
Physics Classroom –
Light Waves and
Color – Lesson 1d
BIG IDEAS
Light
Primary Colors:
 Red + Green + Blue = White
Adding:
 Red + Blue = Magenta
 Red + Green = Yellow
 Green + Blue = Cyan
2-Slit Diffraction
 Increasing wavelength/decreasing
frequency = pattern spreads
 Decreasing slit spacing = pattern spreads
 Dark spots caused by wave cancellation:
Thin-Film Interference
 Bright/Dark/Bright/Dark rings
 Bright spots appear when film thickness is
JUST RIGHT to cause constructive
interference at that wavelength:
Polarization
 Light is a TRANSVERSE WAVE
 Unpolarized: Light vibrates in all directions
 Polarized: Light vibrates in one direction
Pigment (Paint)
Primary Colors:
Cyan + Magenta + Yellow = Black
Adding:
 Cyan + Magenta = Blue
 Cyan + Yellow = Green
 Magenta + Yellow = Red
Bright spots happen where waves constructively
interfere:
This happens because the two rays along these
angles (see picture on the left) are aligned crestto-crest and trough-to-trough.
Different colors caused by different wavelengths
showing up brightly at different thicknesses: