Strand E: Light and Applications of Optics

Learn about uses of thermal imaging as a medical imaging technology.

Learn about telescopes, how they work & why they're important to astronomers.

Ever wondered why we have two eyes (and not one, three or more)? Find how your two eyes work together in this hands-on activity.

Explore how we see things far and near and from different angles. It's all about perspective!

Zoetropes are an early form of animation technology. Learn about this Ingenium artifact and make your own version of this artifact using 3D printing!

Find out what happens if you spin the colours of the rainbow in this hands-on activity.

Rainbows are beautiful examples of optics in nature. We see them thanks to the reflection and refraction of visible light and water.

Learn about the different types of radiation, how they interact with atoms and how they can affect you.

7 images of some objects that can reflect light such as mirrors, Mylar balloons and water

What does light have to do with colour? Observe some colourful fruit under different conditions to learn why we see the colours we see!

This backgrounder explains what light is, how it is measured, and how it affects people on Earth and astronauts on board the International Space Station.

Explore how we see things through water.

How is light connected to the colours we see? In this STEAM activity make a colourful light catcher and discover why we see different colours?

Explore the concept of persistence of vision in this hands on activity.