The scientific concepts of light, polarization and optics will be explained through a number of experiments, including creating a giant soap bubble, during the Feb. 19 CU Wizards show "Light, Polarization and Liquid Crystals."
University of Colorado at Boulder physics Professor Noel Clark and chemistry Professor David Walba will present the show at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30. The show, aimed primarily at students in grades five through nine, is free and open to the public.
During the show, the audience will have a chance to see liquid crystals in action with demonstrations of a 20-foot-high bubble and parents taking the role of liquid crystal molecules. They also will learn what it means to polarize light waves and how solid materials can change the polarization of light, while getting a quick lesson about colors.
Liquid crystals are organic materials related to soap that are in some ways solid and in some ways liquid, making them ideal for information display applications. The wizards will demonstrate the optical and electrical properties of liquid crystals and show how they are used in today's high-tech society to display information in items like laptop and desktop computers, flat-panel televisions, cell phones, calculators and watches.
Clark and Walba are researchers in the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, an interdisciplinary research unit at CU-Boulder that is one of the world's leading liquid crystal research centers.
CU Wizards is usually held the third Saturday of each month during the academic year and focuses on astronomy, chemistry and physics. Though intended primarily for students in grades five through nine, the shows are educational and entertaining to people of all ages.
For more information about CU Wizards call (303) 492-6952 or visit .