Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Fresnel Lens

This type of lens is called a Fresnel lens, named after Augustin Fresnel, a French scientist who first developed this type of light-weight lens for lighthouses.

There's more on the Fresnel lens in the

Activities

Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Filters

These are the four color filters found in your Optics Discovery Kit. Which one transmits the most light? Which the least?

Investigate color filters further at the

Activities

Readings

Hologram

There are several different holograms scattered throughout the Kits. The hologram on the left is depicting a model of a complex molecule. On the right is a hologram of a silver dollar.

Find out how a hologram works at the

Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Optical Fiber

Optical fibers are being used extensively in the telecommunications world; in fact, most of our phone lines have been replaced by optical fibers. Included in the Kit is a small section of fiber. Look through one end of the fiber while you shine a light into the other end.

Try out your optical fiber at

Optics Kit Experiments

Read more about properties of optical fibers at

Diffraction Grating

Find out more about the diffraction grating and what it can be used for in the

Activities

Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Polarizers

Most light is polarized in some direction. Polarizers transmit only that light which is oriented in a certain way. As you can see above, if you turn polarizers 90° to each other, they will transmit little or no light.

Test out your polarizers at the

Activities

Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Mirror

We use mirrors so often that we usually take them for granted. The mirror in the Optics Discovery Kit is made of a special material called mylar which has been aluminized, much like regular glass mirrors. This mirror, however, can be bent into both a convex and a concave shape.

Learn more about mirrors at the

Activities

Readings

Optics Kit Experiments

Prism

The prism enclosed in your kit, is not actually a part of the Optics Discovery Kit made by the Optical Society of America, but we added it because we believe it to be an interesting and useful tool in the study of light and optics. We can use the prism, like the diffraction grating to break white light into a spectrum.

Find out how prisms are like diffraction gratings at the

Activities

Readings