Optics and Light Lesson 1

Curricular Outcomes for Today’s Lesson: Investigate to determine how light interacts with transparent, translucent, and opaque materials. Classify natural and artificial sources of light as incandescence, fluorescence, phosphorescent, chemiluminescent, or bioluminescent.

Luminous vs. Non-luminous Objects Part 1 Luminous vs. Non-luminous Objects

Luminous Examples: Definition: Light bulb, lightning, sun, candle. An object that produces light.

An object that does not produce light. Non-luminous Examples: Moon, most objects. Definition: An object that does not produce light.

Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque Part 2 Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque

Materials that allow light to pass through freely. Transparent Examples: Glass, clear plastic. Definition: Materials that allow light to pass through freely.

Translucent Examples: Thin or light-coloured fabric, stained glass, coloured plastic, tissue paper, leaf. Defintion: Materials that allow some light to pass through, while some is reflected or absorbed.

Opaque Examples: Wood, metal, stone, thick or dark-coloured fabric, thick plastic. Definition: Materials that do not allow any light to pass through.

Part 3 Types of Luminous sources: Incandescent, Fluorescent, Phosphorescent, Chemiluminescent, and Bioluminescent

Incandescent Examples: Sun, traditional light bulb, candle. Definition: Emitting light because of high temperature.

Fluorescent Examples: Neon sign, fluorescent light bulb/tube. Definition: Emits light while receiving energy from another source.

Glow-in-the-dark objects. Phosphorescent Examples: Glow-in-the-dark objects. Definition: Emitting light for some time after receiving energy from another source.

Chemiluminescent Examples: Glow sticks, glow bracelets. Definition: Emitting light because of a man-made chemical reaction.

Emitting light because of a naturally-occurring chemical reaction. Bioluminescent Examples: Jellyfish, fireflies. Definition: Emitting light because of a naturally-occurring chemical reaction.