Science Reasoning Center - Light Waves
You have reached the Construction Zone. As of April 1, 2023 the redo of our Science Reasoning Center was elevated to our top priority. We should have a large amount of content ready by August 1, 2023. We release content once it is ready, allowing teachers to preview and to test our latest creations for potential adoption into their curriculum and unit planning. You can stop by periodically to view our progress. It will be like watching a skyscraper being built ... only more exciting. You can also keep abreast of our developments by a periodic visit to the
What's New at TPC? page.
The
Legacy version of the Science Reasoning Center can be found
here.
Learn more:
About the Science Reasoning Center.
The following activities are planned for our Grand Opening. Once construction is completed, we will include a link to the activity:
Cell Phone Radiation
This activity describes the conflict between two scientists regarding the dangers associated with cell phone radiation. The rationale behind each scientist's conclusions is described. Questions target a student's ability to comprehend the thrust of each argument, to compare and contrast the reasoning involved, to identify the assumptions that underlie the claims, and to predict the impact that future findings might have upon the ongoing debate.
Light Brightness
This activity uses two different tables to present information regarding the relationship between light intensity and the distance from the source and between light intensity and the power of the source at fixed distances from the source. A model for understanding the inverse square law is discussed. Questions target a student's ability to select data from a table (or two), to interpolate and extrapolate from information given in a table, to draw conclusions consistent with presented information, to identify the relationship among the variables, and to identify statements that are consistent with both the model and the data.
Shedding Light on Light Bulbs
This activity compares and contrasts four modern light bulb options. Information regarding the light bulbs, their color temperature and the connection to the colors and wavelengths of the ROYGBIV spectrum is presented using two tables and a figure. Questions target a student's ability to comprehend information presented in a body of text, to read from the tables, to relate information in one table to information in another table or a figure, and to combine information from two data presentations in order to identify valid conclusions.