Optics

This demonstration uses a bubble and LED light to illustrate the concept of thin-film interference. It centres a discussion on thin-film interference in dragonflies and asks participants to consider where they see reflection and refraction in their lives. As an extension, participants may find a natural object with structural colouration, such as a bird feather, butterfly wing, or beetle exoskeleton, and drop some rubbing alcohol on top to see if there are colour changes. 

Learn about reflection and refraction via lasers in water.

A sugar-water solution is used to create a liquid with a variable index of refraction. Participants learn about solutions, gradients, and refraction.

This demonstration explains transverse waves and some surprising properties of polarizers.

This workshop uses marshmallows to teach participants about waves and to calculate the speed of light. 

This demonstration presents viewers with an example of reflection and refraction and describes difference between the two.

This demonstration shows how light changes paths when travelling through different materials. Snell’s Law and the critical angle are explored using lasers and water. 

Participants use a hair to show how light can interfere to produce a diffraction pattern.