Activities
Under ConstructionMeasuring brightness with a grease spot photometer
A piece of white paper stained with oil or grease allows students to compare the intensity of light sources. The device takes seconds to make: just rub a small amount of oil or grease onto a piece of paper. Then place one light source on either side of the paper and observe whether the grease spot looks light or dark.
Under ConstructionTotal Eclipse! How does the moon cover the sun so exactly?
The diameter of the sun is almost 400 times larger than the diameter of the moon: But when the moon crosses between earth and sun, we can see a total eclipse where the moon appears to cover the sun almost exactly. Why can this happen? This hands-on activity allows students to explore eclipses and how size and distance play a role in what we see on the earth's surface during an eclipse. Students use paper models of the moon and sun to determine the relationship between the sizes of a moon and sun, and their distance from a planet in order to cause an eclipse. Cutting paper, setting the up the viewing, and adjusting to create a perfect eclipse all result in a beautiful data set for students to admire and learn from.