“O, Sunshine! The most precious gold to be found on earth.”
— Roman Payne
Introduction
For millennia humanity has revered the stars and local celestial bodies. The light emitted by the Sun combined with its interactions with our atmosphere have provided us with a small oasis in the dark vacuum of space. This massive collection of hydrogen, helium, and other elements provides us with breathtaking moments here on Earth, from stunning sunrises to mesmerizing rainbows. However, these phenomena only represent a small fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum and their associated atmospheric interactions. It has only been within the last century that humanity has been able to detect, generate, and harness all forms of electromagnetic (EM) energy. Our knowledge of the EM spectrum has also enhanced our understanding of the Sun by using various wavelength to examine specific energy signatures. The Sun thus serves as a great model for understanding wave properties (i.e., wavelength and frequency) and wave interactions. The unit I envision will first have students analyze atmospheric phenomena including the color changes that occur during a sunrise, as well as the physics of a rainbow. We will then proceed with deconstructing common household technologies that utilize EM spectra. As a class we will analyze the relevant components (i.e., light, receiver, transmitter, screen) of cellphone technology that utilize EM waves. The goal of this unit is for students to deeply understand EM wave properties so that they can further investigate how various technologies utilize these fundamental principles of waves.
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