A Study of Light:  In Celebration of The International Year of Light

Articles published in American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher

Chris Chiaverina, Editor

Demonstrations and Laboratory Experiments

3D with ''jumping colors'', Ron Edge Phys. Teach. 32, 538 (1994)

A Compact Disk Transmission Spectroscope, Tim Knauer Phys. Teach. 40, 466 (2002)

Color mixer for every student, Gorazd Planinšič, Phys. Teach. 42, 138–142 (March 2004)

Demonstrating the photoelectric effect using household items, Adam J. Beehler, Phys. Teach. 48, 348 (2010)

Experiencing Light's Properties Within Your Own Eye, Michael Mauser, Phys. Teach. 49, 19 (2011)

Filters for color mixing, Robert M. Williamson, Phys. Teach. 36, 22 (Jan. 1998)

Fun with fluorescence in olive oil, Gordon R. Gore, Phys. Teach. 50, 377 (2012)

Geometrical optics and visual perception, Julia Salinas and José Sandoval, The Physics Teacher 39, 420 (2001)

Illuminating physics with light bulbs, Harvey S. Leff, Phys. Teach. 28, 30 (1990)

Index of Refraction Measurements Using a Laser Distance Meter, Romulo Ochoa, Richard Fiorillo, and Cris Ochoa, Phys. Teach. 52, 167 (2014)

Light polarization experiments with a diode laser pointer, Raymond E. Benenson, Phys. Teach. 38, 44 (2000)

Multiple rainbows from single drops of water and other liquids, Jearl D. Walker, Am. J. Phys. 44, 421 (1976)

Real 3-D: How Does It Work?, H. Schmitzer, D. Tierney and T. Toepker, Phys. Teach. 47, 456 (2009)

Squeezing light, Luka Vidic and Miha Kos, Phys. Teach. 50, 570 (2012)

The Light‐Emitting Diode as a Light Detector, William H. Baird, W. Nathan Hack, Kiet Tran, Zeeshan Vira, and Matthew Pickett, Phys. Teach. 49, 171 (2011)

Two Simple Activities to Bring Rainbows into the Classroom, Hakan Isik and Kemal Yurumezoglu, Phys. Teach. 50, 38 (2012)

When yellow and blue make red,  David Keeports, Phys. Teach. 33, 430 (1995)

 

Upper Level Laboratory Experiments

 

A low-cost spatial light modulator for use in undergraduate and graduate optics labs, Derek Huang, Henry Timmers, Adam Roberts, Niranjan Shivaram, and Arvinder S. Sandhu, Am. J. Phys. 80, 211 (2012)

Analysis of light scattered by a capillary to measure a liquid's index of refraction, Zhihong You, Daya Jiang, Zhibo Hou and Jinghua Xiao Am. J. Phys. 80, 688 (2012)

Experiments with light-emitting diodes, Yaakov Kraftmakher Am. J. Phys. 79, 825 (2011)

Measurements of the speed of light in water using Foucault's technique, Jed Brody, Laura Griffin and Phil Segre, Am. J. Phys. 78, 650 (2010)

Observation of standing light wave by using fluorescence from a polymer thin film and diffuse reflection from a glass surface: Revisiting Wiener's experiment, Min Sung Kim, Byeong Joo Kim, Hwan Hong Lim, and Myoungsik Cha, Am. J. Phys. 77, 761 (2009)

Stefan–Boltzmann law for the tungsten filament of a light bulb: Revisiting the experiment, Marcello Carlà, Am. J. Phys. 81, 512 (2013)

 

Pedagogy

 

A research-based curriculum for teaching the photoelectric effect, S. B. McKagan, W. Handley, K. K. Perkins, and C. E. Wieman, Am. J. Phys. 77, 87 (2009)

Active learning in intermediate optics through concept building laboratories, Mark F. Masters and Timothy T. Grove, Am. J. Phys. 78, 485 (2010)

Confusing color concepts clarified, Lawrence D. Woolf, Phys. Teach. 37, 204–206 (April 1999)

Let There Be Light!, David G. Onn and Richard A. Berg, Am. J. Phys. 42, 202 (1974)

Light-Emitting Diodes: Exploration of Underlying Physics, Eugenia Etkina and Gorazd Planinšič, Phys. Teach. 52, 212 (2014)

Resource letter CCV1: Color and color vision, Paul L. Pease, Am. J. of Phys. 48, 907 (1980)

Resource Letter TLC-1: Teaching light and color, Thomas D. Rossing and Christopher J. Chiaverina, Am. J. Phys. 68, 881 (2000)

Seeing an Old Lab in a New Light: Transforming a Traditional Optics Lab into Full Guided Inquiry, Tim Maley, Will Stoll, and Kadir Demir, Phys. Teach. 51, 368 (2013)

Student difficulties in understanding image formation by a plane mirror, Fred M. Goldberg and Lillian C. McDermott, Phys. Teach. 24, 472 (1986)

Studio optics: Adapting interactive engagement pedagogy to upper-division physics, Christopher M. Sorensen, Dyan L. McBride, and N. Sanjay Rebello, Am. J. Phys. 79, 320 (2011)

Using two models in optics: Students' difficulties and suggestions for teaching, P. Colin and L. Viennot, Am. J. Phys. 69, S36 (2001)

 

Tutorials

 

Geometric model for holography, Tung H. Jeong Am. J. Phys. 43, 714 (1975)

Introduction to Fourier Optics, Elisha Huggins, Phys. Teach. 45, 364 (2007)

Introduction to Holography, M. Parker Givens, Am. J. Phys. 35, 1056 (1967)

"Staying in Focus" —An Online Optics Tutorial on the Eye, Barbara M. Hoeling, Phys. Teach. 49, 86 (2011)