Unit 9: Light ~ Getting Started

Energy can take one of two forms: matter and light (called electromagnetic radiation). Light is energy in the form of either a particle or a wave that can travel through space and some kinds of matter.

Low energy light (called radio waves) can have wavelengths longer than a football field, while high energy gamma rays can destroy living tissue.  We’re going to have a look at the nutty fellow called the ‘photon’ and its very odd behavior. Light is so strange that scientists are still trying to work out the details. Are you ready?

One of the best things you can do with this unit is to take notes in a journal as you go. Snap photos of yourself doing the actual experiment and paste them in alongside your drawing of your experimental setup. This is the same way scientists document their own findings, and it’s a lot of fun to look back at the splattered pages later on and see how far you’ve come. I always jot down my questions that didn’t get answered with the experiment across the top of the page so I can research it more later. Are you ready to get started?