Days 11, 14, 15 and 21 of January we offered to students in last high school year several seminars. Firstly, we started the sessions with the presentation of our group GOC and our ongoing and future activities. Secondly, we explained why 2015 is the International Year of Light and the importance of light for the life. After we showed them some light properties, they made a practical activity related with diffraction to guess if they have a DVD or a CD.
Some month later, on Thursday 21st of May took place an activity developed by UJI called FIRUJICIÈNCIA where students from high school and university had the chance to see science demonstrations in different stands. There we showed them some characteristics of light and its application.
We explained polarization by using two polarizers and allowing the students to cross them or to move them freely. We made a photoelasticity demonstration, with two crossed polarizers, we told them to add a transparent medium between both and they could see the effect of the material on light. They could also see refraction and reflection, with a glass of water and a coin we explained them the phenomenon of the total internal reflection and the critical angle. We cloaked the coin while it was under the glass, in air, and show them how depending on the angle of observation you can see it or not. Diffraction demonstration were also developed, we used diffraction gratings and lasers of different wavelength to make clear the dependence of the angle of the diffraction orders with that parameter. Besides, with red, blue and green sources we generated white light to show the spectral content of white light and to explain the importance of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics in order to have white light sources with LED illumination. We had a model of the human eye and lenses to simulate image formation and to let them see the effect of myopia and hyperopia and how to correct them using lenses. Finally, outside the building where FIRUJICIÈNCIA took place, we brought a telescope in order to make an observation of the sun.
While doing all the activities, we also told the students why 2015 is International Year of Light and why is light so important in our daily life. We informed them about our group, GOC, and also explained about future activities.
