Fiber-Optic Water Stream

1. Fiber-Optic Water Stream Materials: Clear bottle with side hole; water; bright LED/flashlight What you do: Shine light into bottle so it follows a curved water stream. What students see: Light bends around with the flowing water. Question: How can light turn a corner? 2. Light Trapped in an Acrylic Rod Materials: Clear acrylic rod/fiber; LED flashlight What you do: Shine light into one end and bend/angle rod. What students see: Light stays inside and exits at far end. Question: Why doesn't light leak out at every surface? 3. Crossed Polarizers Black Out an LCD Materials: Two polarizing filters/sunglasses; LCD screen What you do: Rotate one polarizer while viewing screen/filter stack. What students see: Image/light can fade nearly to black. Question: Why can two clear filters become dark together?

Predict → observe three demonstrations → compare what changed → choose independent activity station → cleanup/share. Guiding questions: Question: How can light turn a corner? Question: Why doesn't light leak out at every surface? Question: Why can two clear filters become dark together?