Home » Teachers » Resources for VCE Physics » Unit 4 Resources » Light and Matter
Interactions of Light and Matter
Resources, Classroom Activities, Assessment Ideas, IT Applications
Resources
Text Resources
- Beiser, A 2003, Concepts of Modern Physics, 6th edn, McGraw-HiII.
- Caro, McDonell & Spicer 1980, Modern Physics, 3rd edn, Edward Arnold, London.
- Haber-Schaim, U et al. 1986, PSSC Physics, DC Heath & Co.
- Serway, RA 1997, Modern Physics, 2nd edn, Saunders, New York.
Audiovisual Resources
It is recommended that teachers should view any video before purchase.
- Marcom Projects: Interference of Light, Light Pressure for Heavy Ideas, Modern Physics & Cosmology, Waves, Sound and Electromagnetism, Light, Optics and Electricity
- VEA: The Photoelectric Effect
Relevant papers from recent Physics Teachers Conferences
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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19.5 kB | ||
Pracs for "Light and Matter" By Ray Watterson, Waverley Christian College, presented at the 2007 Physics Teachers Conference. An Excel file for LED pracs. | |||
Classroom Activities
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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15.5 kB | ||
Some Talking Points on the philosophical aspects of this topic. | |||
Assessment Ideas
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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31.3 kB | ||
This file is a Data Analysis assessment task for Light and Matter. It includes a short statement for students about what they will be assessed on. | |||
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54.5 kB | ||
Assessment Task for previous course, it contains a couple of questions that are not on the current course. | |||
IT Applications
Videos
The 'Double slit' experiment with electrons
This Hitachi website describes the experiment ofelectrons passing through a double slit, one at a time, yet still producing an interference pattern. It includes a video (about 3.5MB, 68 sec long) of the screen with electrons slowly accummulating to build the pattern. There is explanatory text on the bottom as well.
Dr Quantum on Interference and Particle-Wave Duality
A 5 min Youtube animation that effectively explains diffraction, interference of waves as well as particle wave duality.
Applets
Colorado Modern Physics
An interactive journey through numerous applets with accessible supporting text.
Physics Education technology
An extensive set of applets, select 'Light and radiation' and 'Quantum Phenomena'.
Applet on Interference
Also located at this site: http://dev.physicslab.org/asp/applets/doubleslit/default.asp
Another interference applet
Another interference applet allowing variation of wavelength, slit spacing and distance to screen.
Applet on Franck Hertz Experiment
The applet displays a diagram of the apparatus for the experiment. As the grid voltage is adjusted, a graph of current vs grid voltage is generated. There is a choice of two gases.
Electromagnetic wave
The applet by Walter fendt shows oscillating electric and magnetic fields at right angles to the direction of propagation. There is nothing to vary.
The Photoelectic Effect
An Applet by Water Fendt. The display features photoelectric effect apparatus in which you have a choice of three metals, and a selection of filters of different frequencies and in which you can vary the backing voltage to control the current getting through. Once the Stopping Voltage has been obtained for the particular frequency, a point is plotted on a graph, and you can select another frequency to complete the graph. In addition the frequency and the energy of the photon, the Work Function of the metal, and the Max KE of the ejected electrons are displayed in eV. The diagram does feature an op-amp to amplify the current.
Bohr Model of the Atom
The applet by Walter fendt has two modes: the particle model and the wave model. In the particle model the energy levels are represented as concentric circles around the nucleus. As you select different energy levels, the diagram shows an electron moving around the circle, the high the level, slower the electron. In the wave model, the circle becomes a circular standing wave with increasing nodes as the energy level rises.