نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه آموزش فیزیک، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، صندوق پستی 889-14665، تهران- ایران
2 دانشجوی کارشناسی آموزش علوم تجربی، دانشگاه فرهنگیان استان آذربایجان شرقی، تبریز، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Lasers are considered among the most important achievements of modern physics and are now widely used in a broad range of scientific, industrial, and medical applications, including optical communications, telecommunication technologies, medicine, precision measurements, and information‑processing systems. Despite the growing importance of laser technology in modern life and advanced technologies, the fundamental concepts of lasers and photonics are often presented in school curricula in a limited and mainly theoretical manner. Consequently, many students do not develop a deep understanding of the physical properties, operational principles, and practical applications of laser systems. One effective approach for reducing the gap between theoretical instruction and practical understanding is the use of simple and accessible laboratory activities that can demonstrate laser principles in a direct and tangible way within the classroom environment.
Among the most important characteristics of laser beams that play essential roles in technological applications are beam divergence and light intensity modulation. Laser beam divergence refers to the gradual spreading of a laser beam during propagation, and understanding this phenomenon is important for interpreting the behavior of laser light over different distances and in various optical systems. In addition, modulation of laser intensity enables the transmission of information through controlled variations in light intensity and forms the basis of many optical communication systems and photonic technologies. Familiarity with these concepts can help students better understand the relationship between theoretical physics and modern technological applications while also increasing their interest in experimental physics and applied science.
However, teaching these concepts at the high‑school level is often associated with challenges such as the need for specialized laboratory equipment, limited educational resources, and relatively high experimental costs. Therefore, designing simple, safe, and low‑cost experiments that can be implemented in ordinary school laboratories is of considerable educational importance. In this study, a set of hands‑on laboratory activities was designed and introduced to teach the concepts of laser beam divergence and light modulation in a high‑school environment using accessible and inexpensive equipment.
The proposed activities include experiments for observing and measuring laser beam divergence as well as constructing and testing a simple laser‑based audio transmission system. In the divergence experiment, students investigate the gradual expansion of a laser beam over distance and estimate the divergence angle using straightforward geometric measurements. In the modulation activity, sound signals are transmitted by modulating the intensity of a low‑power laser beam and detecting the signal using a solar panel, amplifier, and speaker system. The experiments were designed with particular attention to safety, simplicity, and compatibility with typical school laboratory conditions.
The main objective of this work is to provide an educational framework that facilitates conceptual understanding of laser physics through direct experimental experience. These activities can help students connect abstract physical concepts with real technological applications and promote inquiry‑based and experiential learning in physics education. The proposed experiments also demonstrate that meaningful instruction in photonics and laser technology can be achieved using low‑cost and easily available materials in secondary‑school settings.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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