light and colour

This article introduces common student alternative conceptions about light based on education research. It is important that teachers are aware of these during a sequence of...

In this activity, students choose two types of transparent substance. They then enter the angle of the incident ray in the spreadsheet calculator, and the angle...

In this activity, students participate in an interactive ‘true or false’ activity that highlights common alternative conceptions about light and sight. This activity can be done...

In this activity, students aim spears at a model of a fish in a container of water. When they move their spears towards the fish, they...

In this activity, students make a pinhole camera and see images formed on an internal screen. They then use a lens and see brighter and sharper...

In this activity, students investigate specular and diffuse reflection by looking into a dark box and shining a torch at various objects, coloured paper and a...

Incandescent light bulbs have been the most popular form of electrical lighting since Thomas Edison’s first practical ones 130 years ago. However, they have two major...

Position: Former Associate Professor, School of Engineering, University of Waikato. Field: Optics, optoelectronics. Rainer was born in Germany where he attended high school and university. He...

Position: former Associate Professor, University of Otago. Field: Ophthalmology. Dr Gordon Sanderson was Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Otago, Dunedin....

Position: Former Senior Lecturer, University of Waikato. Currently founder and director Chronoptics. Field: Optics, time-of-flight 3D-cameras Dr Adrian Dorrington was attracted to studying science because of...

In this activity, students model how scientists interpret microscope data by using shadows of an object from different angles to build up a 3D image. By...

Seeing with two eyes helps people to judge distances and to see in 3D, but even using one eye, there are many clues (often referred to...

The human eye is a sense organ adapted to allow vision by reacting to light. The cornea and the crystalline lens are both important for the...

Refraction is the bending of light (it also happens with sound, water and other waves) as it passes from one transparent substance into another. This bending...

Reflection is when light bounces off an object. If the surface is smooth and shiny, like glass, water or polished metal, the light will reflect at...

Light is made up of wavelengths of light, and each wavelength is a particular colour. The colour we see is a result of which wavelengths are...

Light interacts with biological materials in several different ways. This field of research is known as biophotonics. Associate Professor Rainer Künnemeyer, from the University of Waikato,...

Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson’s research is in the field of ophthalmology – a scientific field of study that is concerned with anatomy, physiology and diseases of...

Dr Adrian Dorrington from the School of Engineering at the University of Waikato is conducting research in the field of optoelectronics. His work is involved with...

If there is no light, there is no sight – explore our resources and learn more about the basics of light, how we see and how...

Astronomer, Dr Sara Webb is fascinated about viewing distant galaxies. She is a galaxy hunter and explores the universe through the eyes of many different telescopes...

Join Karen Parker from Tahuna Normal Intermediate School and Greta Dromgool from the Science Learning Hub in a session which will introduce you to Vision 20/20,...

Our eyes – our vision null

The human eye contains structures that allow it to perceive light, movement and colour differences. In this activity, students use online or paper resources to identity...