There are multiple scientific models that can be used to explain the behavior of light. In this activity, you will use a laser and 3D printed materials to explore the properties of light and how it connects to quantum concepts.
Recommended Age
This activity is recommended for students in grades 7-12.
Demonstrations of this activity are acceptable for any K-12 student.
Estimated time
This activity takes approximately 50 minutes to complete.
Pre-requisites
Students should be walked through the slides in the Facilitation Guide and read the Introduction to Duality information sheet prior to the activity.
Learning Goals
- Identify evidence that light acts as both a particle and wave.
- Describe why the double slit experiment proved that light can act as a wave, but that we can also use single particle detection to see individual photons.
- Connect the phenomenon of duality to real life technologies.
This activity kit was developed with funds from the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN), with special thanks to the UW-Madison Department of Physics.