About Shedding Light on Light Bulbs

Highly Recommended
Like all our Science Reasoning Center activities, the completion of the Shedding Light on Light Bulbs activity requires that a student use provided information about a phenomenon, experiment, or data presentation to answer questions. This information is accessible by tapping on the small thumbnails found on the bottom right of every question. However, it may be considerably easier to have a printed copy of this information or to display the information in a separate browser window. You can access this information from this page. 





The Standards
The Shedding Light on Light Bulbs 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.


Success with Shedding Light on Light Bulbs requires some degree of understanding or proficiency with respect to ...

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data (Science and Engineering Practice 4.1)
  Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data (Science and Engineering Practice 4.6)
  Analyze data to identify design features or characteristics of the components of a proposed process or system to optimize it relative to criteria for success.
• Patterns (Crosscutting Concept 1.4)
  Mathematical representations are needed to identify some patterns.
• Structure and Function (Crosscutting Concept 6.1)
  Investigating or designing new systems or structures requires a detailed examination of the properties of different materials, the structures of different components, and connections of components to reveal its function and/or solve a problem.

While the Shedding Light on Light Bulbs activity addresses the two NextGen Science and Engineering Practices and the two Crosscutting Concepts above, the task draws its greatest inspiration from ACT's College Readiness Standards for Science Reasoning. The task consists of 44 questions organized into 17 Question Groups and spread across the three activities. Two strands (Interpretation of Data - IOD and Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results - EMI) of the College Readiness Standards are addressed in this activity. The code given for the standard includes three letters to indicate the strand and three numbers to indicate the specific standard within that strand. Higher numbers are indicative of more complex science reasoning skills. The relationship between the questions and the standards is as follows:  




Complementary and Similar Resources
The following resources at The Physics Classroom website complement the Shedding Light on Light Bulbs Science Reasoning Activity. Teachers may find them useful for supporting students and/or as components of lesson plans and unit plans.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Light Waves and Color Chapter, Electromagnetic and Visible Spectra

Concept Builders, Light and Color: Spectrum

Minds On Physics, Light and Color Module; Mission LC1 - Electromagnetic and Visible Spectrum

The Calculator Pad, Light Waves: Problem Sets LW1 and LW2