The laser pointer has been widely used to demonstrate some simple optics phenomena, like reflection, refraction, total reflection, and diffraction. However, the rays of laser light cannot be seen in the air because the scattered light is too weak. Many physics teachers use milk or smoke to visualize rays of laser light in physics labs, but it is…

Using polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) paints, we prepare circularly polarized freestanding films that enable students to acquire a basic understanding of circular polarization and molecular chirality. The polymerized helical structures of CLC films can exhibit brilliant structural colors by selective reflection of visible light…

Nowadays, technologies involving nanoparticles, colloids, sensors, and artificial intelligence are widespread in society, media, and industry. It is thus mandatory to integrate them into the curricula of students enrolled in chemistry and materials science. To this purpose, we designed a simple assay for the detection of glutathione (GSH) using…

It's not surprising that rainbows have received a great deal of attention: in textbooks, in magazines, and on the web. They are, after all, beautiful, fascinating, occasionally awe-inspiring, even a little mysterious. They are an almost perfect blend of natural beauty and simple physics. Has everything that can be said about rainbows already been…

Nanoparticles are an increasingly important tool in chemistry research, but currently there are few opportunities for chemistry students to work with nanoparticles in undergraduate analytical courses. In this exercise, designed for an analytical or instrumental analysis lab course, students have the opportunity to work with solutions of silver…

This paper demonstrates the use of a smartphone as a low-cost multi-channel optical fibre spectrophotometer suitable for physics laboratory classes. A custom-designed cradle and structure support were fabricated using 3D printing. The plastic optical fibres were arranged and inserted into the hole of the cradle to guide the light to the rear…

In the laboratory experiment described here, students synthesize silver nanostructures (AgNS) with different shapes and sizes to elucidate the shape- and size-dependent optical properties of nanostructured materials. Students also develop understanding of some thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the synthesis process through this experiment. In…

The complex approximation is widely used in the framework of the Ligand Field Theory for explaining the optical properties of crystalline coordination compounds. Here, we show that there are essential features of these systems that cannot be understood with the usual approximation that only considers an isolated complex at the correct equilibrium…

Semiconductor materials are at the core of electronics. Most electronic devices are made of semiconductors. The operation of these components is well described by quantum physics which is often a difficult concept for students to understand. One of the intrinsic parameters of semiconductors is their bandgap energy E[subscript g]. In the case of…

The standard method to create dramatic color images in astrophotography is to record multiple black and white images, each with a different color filter in the optical path, and then tint each frame with a color appropriate to the corresponding filter. When combined, the resulting image conveys information about the sources of emission in the…

Surprisingly colourful views are possible from sparkling white snow. It is well known that similarly colourful features can exist in the sky whenever appropriate ice crystals are around. However, the transition of light reflection and refraction from ice crystals in the air to reflection and refraction from those in snow on the ground is not…

In this article we propose an activity aimed at introductory students to help them understand the Stefan-Boltzmann and Wien's displacement laws. It only requires simple materials that are available at any school: an incandescent lamp, a variable dc energy supply, and a computer to run an interactive simulation of the blackbody spectrum.…

A low-cost and portable colorimeter kit has been designed and developed as an educational tool at Penn State University by Dr. Daniel Sykes for K-12 schools' integrated STEM learning. This scientific instrument allows students to learn how scientists utilize light as a means to study the chemical and physical properties of materials with an…

Generating, collecting, and analyzing data is an essential practice in the science classroom (NRC 2012). Taking this data and using it to craft an explanation that demonstrates understanding of content is another essential practice. But both practices can be challenging, and students often require teacher support to succeed. Accordingly, the…

A simple but physically intuitive double-source model is proposed to explain the interferogram of a laser-capillary system, where two effective virtual sources are used to describe the rays reflected by and transmitted through the capillary. The locations of the two virtual sources are functions of the observing positions on the target screen. An…