Rebecca's Wiki
From OER Commons Wiki
American Association of Physics Teachers Photo Contest
Learning Target: Identify a physics-related real-world phenomenon in nature and explain its occurrence using introductory physics.
Assignment:
1. Take a high quality digital photograph of a physics phenomenon.
2. The phenomenon may be natural or contrived (something you created and did not occur on its own).
3. Write a 250 page "essay" about the physics that explains the phenomenon you photographed.
4. Submit the photograph and the essay to your teacher through the network "Drop" Folder.
Photographs will be printed in color and evaluated by teachers and students. The top scoring 16 photographs in the school that quality for the American Association of Physics Teachers will be sent in to the national competition.
See the national guidelines and examples of previous winners' entries here: http://www.aapt.org/Programs/contests/photocontest.cfm
Atmospheric Optics
Learning Target: Use the concepts of reflection and refraction of light to describe the causes of common atmospheric phenomena.
Assignment: Visit "Atmospheric Optics" at http://www.atoptics.co.uk/
1. Choose one specific optical phenomenon found in the atmosphere.
2. Create an informational mini-poster about your chosen phenomenon using Adobe Photoshop, WORD, PowerPoint, etc., and include the following information:
- -Description of the phenomenon (What should an observer look for?)
- -Description of climatic conditions (When should an observer look for this phenomenon?)
- -Physical explanation for the phenomenon using PHYSICS (How does physics explain this phenomenon? Reflection and/or refraction must be included in this, and should be explained in such a way that a middle school student would understand.)
- -At least two images of the phenomenon
- -One or more diagrams to help explain the physics
- -List of resources
3. Print out the mini-poster and submit it to your teacher.
Camera Dissection Lab File:Camera Dissection Lab.pdf
Learning Target: (1) Identify convex and concave lenses. (2) Explain how each type of lens refracts light and affects size, orientation, and type of images produced.
Materials needed:
- Disposable camera (get this from the recycling bins at your local photo processing location)
- Rubber dishwashing gloves
- Goggles
- Popscicle sticks or blunt pencils to remove components.
Caution: There is a risk of shock upon opening most mechanical devices – wear rubber gloves when opening the camera! Do not touch any of the wires or metal parts inside of the camera. Use a popsicle stick to remove the flash device.
--Exterior--
1. Identify the following components: flash, camera lens, viewfinder, shutter button, flash charge button.
2. Look through the viewfinder.
- a. What kind of lens is used for the viewfinder? Provide at least two pieces of evidence.
- b. Explain why the lens in the viewfinder is the appropriate type of lens to be used.
3. Look at and feel the camera lens.
- a. What kind of lens do you think is used for the camera lens? Provide at least one piece of evidence.
- b. Explain why the predicted type of lens is the appropriate type of lens to be used.
--Interior--
Begin to dissect the camera by opening the bottom of the camera and removing the battery – give to your instructor. Remove the front piece of plastic from the camera. All parts should pop apart – do not break any part of the camera. Remove the flash component with a popsicle.
4. Discharge the flash component with the help of your teacher. What happened? Why?
5. Identify the following parts on your camera flash system. What does each part do?
- Flash:
- Fire:
- Inductor:
- Transistor:
- Diode:
- Capacitor:
6. Look closely at the lens covering the flash device. Why is the protective plastic “corrugated” instead of smooth? Use the word “refraction” in your explanation, and use the sketch to aid you.
7. Remove the viewfinder lens. Feel it. What kind of lens is used for the viewfinder? Does this agree with your prediction in question 2?
8. Remove the camera lens. What kind of lens is used for the camera hole? Does this agree with your prediction in question 3?
Remove the back piece of plastic from the camera. At this point you should have a “naked” camera interior.
9. Identify the shutter hole. Hold the camera close to your eye and look through the shutter hole. Does the world look differently to you? Explain.
10. Find an object with a distinct orientation, such as a window. Hold a piece of wax paper up against the back of the shutter hole and aim your camera towards the object – describe the image that you see projected against the wax “film.” Include size and orientation. Explain why the image you see makes sense.
11. The shutter hole is not a very small pinhole – why should very small pinholes not be used?
12. If a hole is used, why is a lens still placed in front of the hole? Is this necessary? Explain.
