The Physics Classroom » Lesson Plans » Conceptual Physics » Light Waves and Color

Conceptual Physics Course Package

We are nearing completion of our Conceptual Physics Course Package. This downloadable package will include Think Sheets created specifically for a Conceptual Physics course. The Think Sheets will be available in Microsoft Word format, allowing teachers to easily make changes and customize the product. Answer sheets will be provided in both PDF and Microsoft Word format. Each unit contains a file titled ImageBanks which includes graphics used in the Think Sheets, allowing teachers the ability to modify them and re-purpose them for quizzes, tests, and other products. The downloadable package also included an entire lab program for our 12 units. This will include Student Activity Sheets and Teacher Guides in Microsoft Word format. The Teacher Guides include expected answers and to the Student Activity Sheets, time estimates, material lists, a description of alternative materials and methods, procedural details, and words of caution. Finally, each unit is equipped with a Bonus folder that has a generous collection of other goodies of interest to teachers of the course.

We are expecting the product to be complete and available for purchase in April or May of 2025. An update will be provided once the project is complete.

In creating our Lesson Plans and Learning Outcomes for this course we have referenced several of the items that we intend to place in the package. We have used red text wherever we have made such a reference. These items will only be available by purchase of the course package.
 

Light Waves and Color

The lesson plans below include links to the specific resources on our website.

Teacher Guides for labs can be found here.


   
 
 
 

Day 1 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Introduce unit
  2. Briefly discuss the dual nature of light
  3. Science Reasoning Center: Models of Light
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part a-c
  2. If not done, complete Models of Light


 

Day 2 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Physics Interactives: The Photoelectric Effect with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process, emphasizing the evidence for light behaving as a particle (the rest of the unit focuses on light as a wave)
  2. Discuss wave behaviors of light: interference, polarization; demonstrations
  3. Physics Interactives: Polarization by Reflection as a demonstration
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 1, Part d
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC2 on Polarization


 

Day 3 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Review polarization: then Pair Practice: Polarization Think Sheet
    Complete; check answers. Then ...
  2. Science Reasoning Center: Electromagnetic Spectrum
    Do and process
  3. Discuss Electromagnetic spectrum; patterns for wavelength, frequency, and energy; discuss visible light spectrum
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Parts a, b, and c
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC1 on Electromagnetic and Visible Light Spectrum


 

Day 4 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 1 - Diluted by Distance
    Collect data, discuss results; practice some inverse square law thinking
  2. Science Reasoning Center: Light Intensity
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Concept Builder: Light Intensity


 

Day 5 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Quick Quiz on Learning Outcomes #1 - #4
  2. Introduce Color
    Discuss the light wavelengths and color, ROYGBIV; the eye (retina, cones, etc.); incident-absorbed-reflected model; use Incident-Absorbed-Reflected Model Think Sheet (selected Qs)
  3. Physics Interactives: RGB Color Addition with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part d
  2. Concept Checker: RGB Color Addition


 

Day 6 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 2 - Taking Away From RGB
    Do and process; save Conclusion until after lesson
  2. Discuss primary colors of light; discuss rules of color subtraction; color wheel and color equations; complementary colors; color subtraction; use of incident-absorbed-reflected model to explain the colors we see
  3. Pair Practice: complete Incident-Absorbed-Reflected Model Think Sheet
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Reading: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC4 on Complementary Colors of Light


 

Day 7 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Pair Practice: Color Addition and Subtraction Think Sheet
  2. Concept Builder: Color Addition and Subtraction
  3. Physics Interactives: Painting with CMY with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process; discuss what do pigments do? Do some examples with an incident-absorbed-reflected diagram
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Concept Checker: Painting with CMY


 

Day 8 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Guided/Pair/Individual Practice: Pigments and Color Subtraction Think Sheet
    Do and check answers; then begin ...
  2. Concept Builder: Color Pigments
  3. Physics Interactives: Stage Lighting with Student Activity Sheet
    Do and process
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Concept Checker: Stage Lighting


 

Day 9 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 3 - M and Ms Activity
    Complete; process ...
  2. Discuss what happens when the incident light isn't white? Do some examples with an incident-absorbed-reflected diagram; selected Qs from When the Incident Light's not White Think Sheet
  3. Pair Practice: complete When the Incident Light's not White Think Sheet
    Complete; then ...
  4. Complete Lab 3 write-up
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC5 on Color Subtraction


 

Day 10 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Lab 4 - Filtering Away
  2. Discuss filters; transition to the incident-absorbed-transmitted model; do some examples from Incident-Absorbed-Transmitted Model Think Sheet
  3. Pair Practice: complete Incident-Absorbed-Transmitted Model Think Sheet
    Complete and check answers; if time allows, start ...
  4. Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters
 
Homework/Announcements
  1. Review as needed: Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Colors: Lesson 2, Part e
  2. Minds On Physics: Mission LC8 on Color Filters


 

Day 11 of Light Waves and Color

Lesson Plan
  1. Demonstration of colored shadows using RGB Lights; emphasize color subtraction and color addition principles
  2. Physics Interactives: Colored Shadows
    Have students construct and label a diagram of their observations; do Shadows Think Sheet
  3. Concept Builder: Color Filters
  4. Discuss Unit Test

Homework/Announcements
  1. Prepare for Tomorrow's Test
  2. Complete all unfinished work