Week of October 5, 2009

This week in science class i learned to compare light to things easier to understand like, a bouncy ball bouncing on the ground. We also learned about how light bends and when it bends. We learned about how light reflects off of water and why it reflects off of water. Plus, we were introduced to different light theories, the particle theory and the wave theory, and are beginning to learn when we should use each theory. Sometimes neither theory works well to suit the situation.

I learned these ideas by experimenting and making analogies. We did experiments to prove our hypothesis' wrong so that we can find out important facts. We did experiments like pointing a laser at a jar of water and seeing where the laser dot goes and how it reflects off of the water. We also put a rock in a sink full of water to symbolize how light with the wave theory bounces back and reflects off of the walls. We also did many more experiments.

It is important to understand and know these ideas because then you can truly understand light. If you know these ideas, like when to apply the theories by Isaac Newton and Christiaan Huygens, and when to apply them to simple situations, you will know how light travels. You will know that light has no weight and that photons are particles in light. Knowing these ideas will help you understand why you see your reflection in a mirror or a still lake. Knowing things like how to make analogies will help you communicate important ideas to other people when it is hard to explain it in words.