The nature of light has always been a mystery to scientists. Light has been observed to behave as both a wave and a particle. This dual nature of light has been debated and researched for many years. The double slit experiment is one of the most famous experiments that demonstrate the dual nature of light.

In the double-slit experiment, a beam of light is passed through two slits, creating an interference pattern on a screen behind the slits. When a detector is placed behind each slit to measure which slit the photons pass through, the interference pattern disappears, and the photons behave like particles. This experiment shows that light can behave like both a wave and a particle.

The dual nature of light has baffled scientists for centuries. How can light behave as both a wave and a particle? During the double-slit experiment, it was almost like light knew it was being watched and acted differently because of that knowledge. However, light is not a conscious force (that we know of). These questions and more continue to challenge scientists today. The nature of light is one of the foundational pieces of evidence for quantum physics. Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that deals with the behavior of matter and energy at a tiny scale, such as the behavior of atoms and subatomic particles. The dual nature of light is one of the critical pieces of evidence that supports the quantum mechanical view of the universe.

The Light Game helps your students understand the double-slit experiment (that light acts as a particle and wave) by playing fun volleyball variations!

Materials:

• A large play area

• A volleyball net

• One volleyball

• Minimum Number of Students Needed:

  While you could play this game with as few as four people (like sand volleyball), it is more fun with an entire class.

• Prior Knowledge: This lesson could introduce the concept of light as both a particle and a wave, which also serves as an introduction to quantum mechanics.