This activity from the Exploratorium provides an introduction to the diffraction of light which indicates its wavelike properties. Two pencils are used to create a slit through which a flashlight bulb or candle’s light...

This resource, part of the Spectroscopy Lab Suite, illustrates the physics of a semiconductor Diode Laser. Students can create conduction and valence band energy levels and build in a bias due to impurity doping. The...

This site from the Exploratorium contains a simple demonstration of how objects can disappear when placed in a liquid. The activity uses glass objects and Wesson™ oil. The site provides an explanation of the refraction...

This article from SPIE discusses an electron-beam-lithography technique which fabricates diffractive optical structures such as classic Fresnel-zone-plate lenses with fine features. Diffractive optical elements are...

Authored by Nick Strobel, "Astronomy Notes" is an educational resource for introductory astronomy classes for undergraduates. This section describes general properties of light, frequency, the spectrum, and temperature....