For Ages 15 and Up | Optics for Kids

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta name="og:site_name" content="O4K" /> <meta name="og:type" content="website" /> <meta name="og:title" content="For Ages 15 and Up" /> <meta name="og:image" content="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/landing-images/careers-header_1.jpg?ext=.jpg" /> <meta name="og:url" content="https://www.optics4kids.org/activities/15-and-up" /> <meta name="og:description" content="Optics for Kids: Exploring the Science of Light" /> <title>For Ages 15 and Up | Optics for Kids</title>  <script> (function (w, d, s, l, i) { w[l] = w[l] || []; w[l].push({ 'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' }); var f = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j = d.createElement(s), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? '&l=' + l : ''; j.async = true; j.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=' + i + dl; f.parentNode.insertBefore(j, f); })(window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-MJQB7W3'); </script>  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Fredoka+One|Roboto:400,400i,700,700i&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/css/app.css" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/_content/Kentico.Content.Web.Rcl/Content/Bundles/Public/systemPageComponents.min.css" rel="stylesheet" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon-16x16.png"> <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest"> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#5bbad5"> <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#da532c"> <meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"> </head> <body class="body-container">  <noscript> <iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MJQB7W3" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe> </noscript>  <div class="container-fluid p-0 o4k-header-container"> <header class="o4k-header"> <a href="/"> <img alt="Optics for Kids Logo" class="o4k-main-logo" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-logo.png" /> </a> <nav class="o4k-main-nav"> <ul class="main-nav__list"> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a class="main-nav__link" href="/what-is-optics">What is Optics?</a> </li> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a class="main-nav__link" href="/activities">Activities</a> </li> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a class="main-nav__link" href="/optical-illusions">Optical Illusions</a> </li> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a class="main-nav__link" href="/careers">Careers</a> </li> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a class="main-nav__link" href="/other-resources">Other Resources</a> </li> <li class="main-nav__item"> <a aria-controls="o4kSearchBar" aria-expanded="false" class="main-nav__link" data-toggle="collapse" href="#o4kSearchBar" role="button"><span class="fas fa-search"> </span> </a> </li> </ul> </nav> </header> <div class="collapse" id="o4kSearchBar"> <form action="/search" class="o4k-search-bar" method="get"><input class="form-control o4k-search-bar__input" id="SearchString" name="SearchString" placeholder="Search..." type="text" value="" /> <button type="submit" id="search" class="btn btn-material o4k-search-bar__button"> <span class="fas fa-search" alt="Search"></span> </button> </form> </div> </div> <div class="container-fluid"> <div id="cookieConsent" class="maintenance-popup alert alert-dismissible fade show" role="alert"> <div class="maintenance-popup__container"> <span id="p_lt_zoneSiteNotice_SimpleCookieLawConsent_lblText" class="maintenance-popup__text"> <p>This website uses cookies to deliver some of our products and services as well as for analytics and to provide you a more personalized experience. <a href="/cookie-notice">Visit our Cookie Notice</a> to learn more.</p> <p>By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. We鈥檝e also updated our <a href="/privacy-policy">Privacy Notice</a>. <a href="/privacy-policy">Visit our Privacy Policy</a> to see what鈥檚 new. </p> </span> <div class="maintenance-popup__buttons"> <button class="maintenance-popup__button cookie-consent-all btn btn-default" data-dismiss="alert" aria-label="Close" data-cookie-string=".AspNet.Consent=yes; expires=Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:59:42 GMT; path=/; samesite=lax"> <span aria-hidden="true">Allow cookies</span> </button> </div> <button class="maintenance-popup__hide js-hide-button btn btn-default" data-dismiss="alert" aria-label="Close" title="Click this to hide this alert until your next visit.">x</button> </div> </div> <script> (function () { var button = document.querySelector("#cookieConsent button[data-cookie-string]"); button.addEventListener("click", function (event) { document.cookie = button.dataset.cookieString; }, false); })(); </script> <main class="o4k-body"> <div class="container small mb-1"> <nav aria-label='breadcrumb'><ol class='breadcrumb bg-transparent'><li class='breadcrumb-item'><a href='https://www.optics4kids.org'>Optics 4 Kids</a></li> <li class='breadcrumb-item'><a href='https://www.optics4kids.org/activities'>Activities</a></li> <li class='breadcrumb-item active' aria-current='page'>For Ages 15 and Up</li></ol></nav> </div> <div class="container"> <section class="o4k-main"> <div class="card mb-3"> <div class="alert alert-info cms-label"> This is controlled by the page's Image field </div> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/landing-images/careers-header_1.jpg?ext=.jpg" alt="" role="presentation" /> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-text"> <h4>For Ages 15 and Up</h4> </div> </div> </div> <div class="alert alert-info cms-label"> These are the Page documents under this node </div> <div class="grid-container grid-container--col-3"> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Homemade Polariscope</h5> <p>You may have heard of polarized glasses, but what does that mean? How are polarized lens different and how do they reduce glare? This experiment will show students the effects of polarization and help them understand what it does.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/polariscope"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/polariscope">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Wave Machine</h5> <p>Light is very strange in that it travels as both a wave and a particle. This activity will simplify this concept by building a wave machine to show how light moves as a wave.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/wave-machine"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/wave-machine">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Particle Simulator</h5> <p>Light is very strange in that it travels as both a wave and a particle. This activity will simplify this concept by exclusively examining light’s particle-like properties.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/particle-simulator"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/particle-simulator">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Laser Jell-O</h5> <p>When light interacts with another substance, it does one of three things: reflects, absorbs, or transmits. This experiment will help you understand transmission and absorption.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/jello-laser"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/jello-laser">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Ricocheting Lasers</h5> <p>This experiment will help students understand the importance of the critical angle and the index of refraction.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/ricochet-laser"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/ricochet-laser">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Glue Stick Sunset</h5> <p>As the day ends, the sky is painted with all sorts of beautiful colors. But why isn’t the sky red and orange during the rest of the day? Why are the colors less vibrant the further they are from the horizon? This activity will help students understand the answer to these questions.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/glue-stick-sunset"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/glue-stick-sunset">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Focal Lengths</h5> <p>To see a clear image on the opposite side of a lens, the distance between your eye and the lens must be proportional to distance between the lens and the object. Through this activity, students will understand the importance of focal lengths and discover how to calculate them.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/focal-lengths"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/focal-lengths">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="media-body"> <h5 class="media-header mt-0">Is it Real or Virtual?</h5> <p>This activity goes over the difference between real and virtual images.</p> </div> <a href="/activities/15-and-up/is-it-real-or-virtual"> <img class="d-flex align-self-start link-item__image" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/siteimages/o4k-default-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Default thumbnail: three prisms splitting light on a surface" /> </a> </div> <a class="btn btn-material btn-explore" href="/activities/15-and-up/is-it-real-or-virtual">EXPLORE</a> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </main> </div> <footer class="o4k-footer mt-3"> <p class="text-center">Copyright © 2024</p> <p class="text-center mb-0"> 3 <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> |  <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="/contact-us">Contact Us</a> |  <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="https://www.optica.org" target="_blank">Optica</a> </p> </footer> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/combine/npm/jquery@3.6.0,npm/popper.js@1.16.1,npm/bootstrap@4.5.0"></script> <script src="/js/bundle.js"></script> <script src="/_content/Kentico.Content.Web.Rcl/Scripts/jquery-3.5.1.js"></script> <script src="/_content/Kentico.Content.Web.Rcl/Scripts/jquery.unobtrusive-ajax.js"></script> <script src="/_content/Kentico.Content.Web.Rcl/Content/Bundles/Public/systemFormComponents.min.js"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

For Ages 15 and Up | Optics for Kids