This activity describes two experiments in which students investigate the effect of the angle of incidence upon the angle of refraction. Data is collected for the air-water and the air-lucite boundary and presented as an angle of incidence vs. angle of refraction graph and as a sine of the angle of incidence vs. sine of the angle of refraction graph. Questions target a student's ability to understand the design of an experiment, to predict the outcome of performing the experiment in a different manner, to identify the qualitative relationship among variables, to combine two or more data presentations in order to develop appropriate conclusions, and to use a model in order to analyze information and draw appropriate conclusions.

This activity describes the variables that affect the percentage of incident light that undergoes reflection and transmission at the boundary between two materials. The passage uses a diagram, a table and two graphs to describe the relationships among variables. Questions target a student's ability to identify the effect of one variable on another variable, to select information from two or more data presentations, to make a prediction based on two or more data presentations, to interpolate and extrapolate from a graph, to compare data chosen from two or more graphs, and to use known data to make a prediction regarding an untested scenario.

This activity describes a student experiment investigating the effect of the object distance from a lens upon the characteristics of the image that is formed by the lens. Data is presented in the form of a diagram, three tables and a graph. Questions target a student's ability to determine the effect of one variable upon another variable, to select information from a table or graph, to interpret a complex diagram, to draw conclusions that are consistent with two or more data presentations, to interpolate and extrapolate from a table or a graph, and to make predictions based upon a model.