Service
Principle
In the experiment on "shadow formation" the students
investigated the origin of umbra and penumbra. In doing so they
determined that areas of shadow only occur behind illuminated
opaque objects and that the rectilinear propagation of light is one
of the reasons for shadow formation.
To apply and strengthen this knowledge the students should
investigate the conditions for the occurrence of a lunar or solar
eclipse in this experiment. In doing so, not only their
above-mentioned physical knowledge will be refreshed but
also an important contribution to the
students' comprehension of these natural phenomena will be
made. A particular difficulty in this experiment is that the
student must change his or her observational plane to understand
the course of events - especially in the case of a solar eclipse.
Using suitable examples which are independent of the experiment
(e.g. an observing passenger in a train or on a platform), the
transformation of the observational position should be
practised.
Benefits
- Multifunctional light box - All-in-one: Can be used for geometric optics on the table, colour mixing and on an optical bench
- Extension with others sets at anytime, no additional light sources needed, recognition value for students
Tasks
How do eclipses of the moon or the sun occur? The aim of this experiment is to investigate how eclipses of the moon and the sun occur.
