Imaging Physics - Physics Photagraphy Contest

In the second semester of physics we investigate topics in the rest of physics including waves, sound, light, electricity and magnetism. Students will photograph and explain some aspect of physics. This can be a contrived situation designed to illustrate a specific concept or an actual naturally occurring event.

Students will be looking more at the world around them, looking for examples of natural lenses, strange reflections, spontaneous electric discharges, rainbows caused by diffraction or refraction, thin slit interference patterns, or a myriad of other natural phenomenon. They will then be tasked with capturing the event.

For this project we will have to spend some time discussing how to take good photographs. This will dovetail very nicely with the curriculum discussions of light and lenses, allowing the interjection practical real world examples into the course. We will need to have discussions and lab activities to investigate the effect of different light levels, aperture size, and shutter speed on image quality. Additionally, as we discuss image quality we can also talk about the interaction of light with the CCD and how different wavelengths of light are turned into electricity and then into a digital image.

Once students have captured the perfect image they will write a brief description explaining the physics behind their images. The best final products will be printed out as posters for use in physics and will also be submitted to the American Association of Physics Teachers annual Physics Photography Contest.