Physics|The Power of Light

We can't avoid it. Everything around us is governed by laws of physics and are unavoidable – your computer uses tiny microchips with complex programming, your television receives high-powered radio frequency transmissions, easels are built at specific angles to support the weight of the canvas. Even the most basic senses we rely on everyday, such as sight and hearing, are based on physics.

 

This demonstration is aimed at high school students and can be adapted to younger grades if necessary. The topic of the demonstration is light, and how mirrors can be used to focus the light from a source to light objects (like a match) on fire. Discussion with this demonstration includes heat, energy, color and visible light, and characteristics of mirrors.