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Credits
shaun; lookang
1. Introduction:
This briefing document summarizes the key features and educational aims of an interactive JavaScript HTML5 applet titled "Fish Tank, Family Photo Seen Through Objects of Different Opacity." This applet, hosted by Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore, allows students to explore the concept of opacity by observing familiar images through virtual objects with varying degrees of transparency. The document also briefly touches upon a related resource that provides examples of objects with different opacities.
2. Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:
- Exploring the Concept of Opacity: The central theme of the interactive applet is to provide a visual and interactive way for students to understand the concept of opacity. It allows them to directly observe how different materials affect their ability to see an image clearly.
- As stated in the description, "The objective of this interactive is to allow students to observe how our perception of images is affected when seeing through a materials of different opacity."
- Interactive Learning: The applet emphasizes active learning through manipulation. Students can "move the objects around the image to see its effect on different parts of the image." This hands-on approach encourages experimentation and direct observation of the consequences of varying opacity.
- Familiar Visuals: The simulation utilizes "an image of a fish tank and a family photo" as the base visuals. These familiar items likely serve to make the concept more relatable and engaging for students.
- Application in Education: The resource is explicitly designed "For Teachers" and includes "Sample Learning Goals" (though the actual text of these goals is not provided in the excerpt). This suggests its intended use as an educational tool to support the teaching of light and its interaction with matter.
- Technology: The applet is developed using JavaScript and HTML5, making it embeddable in web pages through an <iframe> tag. This indicates its accessibility on various devices with web browsers without the need for additional plugins.
- The excerpt provides an embed code: <iframe width="100%" height="100%" src="https://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/04waves_13light/ejss_model_blurImagefishtankandfamily/blurImagefishtankandfamily_Simulation.xhtml " frameborder="0"></iframe>
- Open Educational Resource: The platform hosting the applet is "Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore," signifying that the resource is likely freely available for educational use. The content is licensed under a "Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License," further supporting its open nature.
- Credits and Development: The applet is credited to "shaun; lookang," indicating the individuals responsible for its creation. It is also mentioned that the related resource "Opacity of Objects(Glass, Tracing Paper, Book)..." was "Compiled with EJS 6.1 BETA (201115)." This suggests the use of the Easy JavaScript Simulations (EJS) Toolkit for its development.
- Categorization and Context: The applet is listed under the "Light" section within the broader category of "04waves_13light," providing context within a physics curriculum. It is also linked to other physics-related simulations and resources on the platform, such as those on shadows, light reflection, and other wave phenomena.
- Related Resource on Opacity: The excerpt also mentions a related resource focusing on the "Opacity of Objects(Glass, Tracing Paper, Book) (Transparent, Translucent or Opaque) vieww on Fish Tank or Family pictures from Wikipedia." This resource likely provides concrete examples of materials categorized by their opacity (transparent, translucent, or opaque) and might visually demonstrate their effects on the same base images used in the interactive applet.
3. Quotes from Original Sources:
- Description of the Interactive: "This is a simple interactive that allows students to see familiar items through objects of different opacity. Students can move the objects around the image to see its effect on different parts of the image."
- Objective of the Interactive: "The objective of this interactive is to allow students to observe how our perception of images is affected when seeing through a materials of different opacity."
- Embed Code: <iframe width="100%" height="100%" src="https://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/04waves_13light/ejss_model_blurImagefishtankandfamily/blurImagefishtankandfamily_Simulation.xhtml " frameborder="0"></iframe>
- Title of Related Resource: "Opacity of Objects(Glass, Tracing Paper, Book) (Transparent, Translucent or Opaque) vieww on Fish Tank or Family pictures from Wikipedia"
- Attribution: "shaun; lookang" (credited for both resources)
- Licensing: "Contents are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License" (for the main OER platform)
4. Conclusion:
The "Fish Tank, Family Photo Seen Through Objects of Different Opacity" interactive applet offers a valuable tool for educators to visually and interactively demonstrate the concept of opacity to students. By allowing manipulation of virtual objects and observation of familiar images, it promotes active learning and a deeper understanding of how different materials affect light transmission and our perception. The availability of this resource as an open educational resource further enhances its accessibility and potential impact in educational settings. The related resource providing examples of objects with varying opacities likely serves as a complementary material for reinforcing the concepts explored in the interactive simulation.
Opacity and Light Perception Study Guide
Quiz
- What is the primary purpose of the "Fish Tank, Family Photo Seen Through Objects of Different Opacity" interactive applet?
- Describe how changing the opacity of a virtual object in the applet affects the view of the underlying image.
- What two familiar types of images are provided in the interactive for student experimentation?
- According to the text, what should students be able to observe by using this interactive tool?
- The applet allows users to "move the objects around the image." Why is this feature important for learning about opacity?
- The title of the second source mentions three specific objects: glass, tracing paper, and a book. How do these objects typically differ in terms of opacity?
- Define the term "opacity" in your own words, based on your understanding of the provided materials.
- The second source categorizes objects as transparent, translucent, or opaque. Briefly explain the difference between these three categories in relation to light transmission.
- How does viewing a family photo through tracing paper differ from viewing it through clear glass, based on the concept of opacity?
- What connection can be made between the interactive applet and real-world experiences of seeing objects through different materials?
Answer Key
- The primary purpose of the interactive applet is to allow students to observe how their perception of images is affected when viewing them through materials of different opacities.
- Changing the opacity of a virtual object in the applet causes the underlying image to appear more or less clear. Higher opacity generally results in a less clear or even obscured view, while lower opacity allows for a clearer view.
- The two familiar types of images provided in the interactive are a fish tank and a family photo.
- Students should be able to observe how the clarity and visibility of images change depending on the opacity of the material they are viewed through.
- This feature allows students to explore how different parts of an image are affected by the same level of opacity and to compare the effects of different opacities on various details within the image.
- Glass is typically transparent (allowing most light to pass through), tracing paper is translucent (allowing some light to pass through but scattering it, making the image less clear), and a book is opaque (blocking most light from passing through).
- Opacity refers to the degree to which a material obstructs the passage of light. A material with high opacity blocks a lot of light, while a material with low opacity allows more light to pass through.
- Transparent materials allow most light to pass through without significant scattering, making objects behind them clearly visible. Translucent materials allow some light to pass through but scatter it, making objects behind them blurry or indistinct. Opaque materials block most or all light from passing through, preventing anything behind them from being seen.
- Viewing a family photo through tracing paper would likely result in a blurry or less distinct image compared to viewing it through clear glass, because tracing paper is translucent and scatters the light passing through it, while clear glass is transparent and allows light to pass through with minimal scattering.
- The interactive applet simulates real-world scenarios where we look at objects through various materials like windows (transparent), frosted glass (translucent), or walls (opaque), helping us understand why our vision is affected differently in each case.
Essay Format Questions
- Discuss the relationship between the opacity of a material and the clarity with which objects can be seen through it. Provide examples from everyday life to support your explanation.
- Explain how the interactive applet can be used as a tool to enhance understanding of the concepts of transparent, translucent, and opaque materials. What are the advantages of using such a simulation in learning?
- Consider the different levels of opacity. Describe a scenario where each level (transparent, translucent, opaque) plays a significant role in our daily lives or in a specific application.
- The provided materials focus on visual perception through materials of varying opacity. Can you think of other ways the concept of "opacity" or blockage of transmission might apply in different scientific or everyday contexts (e.g., sound, information)?
- Imagine you are a teacher introducing the concept of opacity to elementary school students. How would you use the "Fish Tank, Family Photo" applet and real-world examples to effectively convey this idea?
Glossary of Key Terms
- Opacity: The degree to which a material blocks the transmission of light (or other forms of electromagnetic radiation). High opacity means little light passes through; low opacity means more light passes through.
- Transparent: A material that allows most light to pass through without significant scattering, enabling clear vision through it (e.g., clear glass, clean water).
- Translucent: A material that allows some light to pass through but scatters it, causing objects viewed through it to appear blurred or indistinct (e.g., frosted glass, tracing paper).
- Opaque: A material that blocks most or all light from passing through, preventing any view of objects behind it (e.g., wood, metal, a book).
- Interactive Applet: A small, self-contained software application, often web-based, that allows users to actively engage with and manipulate elements within a simulation or model for learning or demonstration purposes.
- Simulation: A model or representation of a real-world system or process, often simplified or interactive, used for study, testing, or entertainment.
- Perception: The process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information, including visual information, to form a meaningful representation of the world.
Sample Learning Goals
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For Teachers
Fish Tank, Family Photo Seen Through Objects of Different Opacity Interactive JavaScript HTML5 Applet
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Description
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Frequently Asked Questions: Observing Images Through Different Opacities
1. What is the main purpose of the "Fish Tank, Family Photo Seen Through Objects of Different Opacity" interactive simulation?
The primary goal of this interactive tool is to help students understand how the opacity of materials affects our perception of images. By allowing users to place objects of varying opacity over familiar images (a fish tank and a family photo), the simulation demonstrates the visual changes that occur when light passes through different types of materials.
2. How does the interactive simulation work?
The interactive simulation provides users with a digital environment where they can drag and drop virtual objects with different levels of opacity onto two provided images: a fish tank and a family photo. As these objects are moved across the images, the corresponding parts of the images are visually altered to simulate the effect of viewing them through materials with varying transparency.
3. What are the key concepts that students can learn from this simulation?
Students can directly observe and learn about the concepts of opacity (the degree to which a material blocks the transmission of light), transparency (allowing light to pass through with little or no distortion), translucency (allowing some light to pass through but scattering it so that objects behind are not clearly visible), and opaqueness (blocking light from passing through). They can see how these properties affect the clarity and visibility of underlying images.
4. Who developed this interactive simulation and under what license is it available?
This interactive simulation was created by shaun and lookang as part of the Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore project. It is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License, which encourages sharing and adaptation with appropriate attribution.
5. Where can teachers find the interactive simulation and related resources?
The interactive simulation can be embedded in webpages using the provided iframe code. A direct link to the simulation is also available. The page also mentions "Sample Learning Goals" and a section "For Teachers," suggesting that additional pedagogical resources might be available, though the specific details are not provided in this excerpt.
6. What types of images are used in the simulation for experimentation?
The simulation provides two familiar images for students to experiment with: an image of a fish tank and a family photo. These everyday subjects help students relate the concept of opacity to real-world scenarios.
7. Is this simulation part of a larger collection of educational resources?
Yes, this simulation is part of the Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore project, which includes a wide variety of interactive JavaScript HTML5 applets and simulations covering various science and mathematics topics. The extensive list of other resources on the page demonstrates the breadth of this collection.
8. What is the educational value of using interactive simulations like this one?
Interactive simulations like this offer significant educational value by providing a visual and hands-on way for students to explore abstract concepts. By directly manipulating variables and observing the effects, students can develop a deeper and more intuitive understanding of scientific principles, in this case, the properties of light and materials. The ability to experiment and see immediate results fosters engagement and facilitates inquiry-based learning.