HCC Science Olympiad : Optics

Remember our author visit last year from science writer Steve Tomecek? This is his book and it does a GREAT job of explaining many of the optics topics in simple terms and with simple suggested experiments/demonstrations you can do with no special equipment.

Our visual experience of the world and our ability to perceive the objects and people around us would be impossible without light and the many roles it plays in our daily lives. In addition to facilitating our perception, light sustains life on earth by providing energy to plants and heating the atmosphere. The fundamentals of light, including how it is measured, its interaction with matter, and the particle and wave theories of light, are covered in this detailed volume.

This book explains the properties of light, including where it comes from, how it travels, and how it is reflected and refracted. Explanatory diagrams and simple practical experiments help to provide a perfect introduction to this fascinating subject.

Offers experiments and activities using the properties of light and optics.

Do you know how eyeglasses can help improve your vision? Here's a hint: It's all about light and lenses! Discover how your eyes turn reflected light into images your brain can understand. The Science of a Pair of Glasses brings the science of light into focus.

In three sections--"Seeing," "Thinking," and "Being"--you'll see for yourself why these visual illusions and experiments hoodwink the brain. You'll find out how the structure of the eye influences what you see. And you'll think of events that may not have actually happened, in order to learn how the mind can create a false memory. Rather than simply displaying a collection of puzzlers or visual illusions, each chapter guides you through a series of perceptual and thought experiments firsthand and then walks you through your brain's reaction in clear, user-friendly language--providing every reader with a compelling personal interest in finding out why his or her mind acts the way it does. Smart, exciting, and deeply engaging, Brainworks pulls you in, manipulates your mind, and leaves you with a better understanding--as well as a richer appreciation--of the mental marvels that we take for granted.

"Since the beginning of time humans and animals have looked for ways to be less visible to opponents. From the art of camouflage to the science of stealth technology, ways have been developed to hide objects and people. Today, scientists are building an "invisibility cloak" that makes objects and people underneath it seem to disappear.