'Samajh nahi aa raha?': Science teacher's laser demonstration of reflection of light goes viral

New Delhi:

There will always be that one topic taught in class that seems unapproachable until it is interpreted differently. For many students, science has always been a subject filled with abstract principles and complicated diagrams that can be hard to visualise. But as this one particular teacher proved, some imagination may do the trick.

A video taken by teacher Nidhi Gupta has become popular on Instagram, as she turned her lesson on the reflection and refraction of light into an entertaining experiment that students could observe firsthand. Rather than only using diagrammatic explanations, Nidhi made use of a green laser pointer, a plane mirror, a glass prism, water and some powder to make her explanation easy to understand. This viral video has made many social media users comment on her innovative teaching method.

A classroom experiment that made science visible

The video opens with the text, "Mam, aise samajh nahi aa raha!!" (Ma'am, I still don't understand.) After a short while, Nidhi starts her demonstration by projecting a laser beam onto various objects to demonstrate how light works. In order to make the beam visible, she spreads powder in the air to create the Tyndall Effect so that students can see where the light travels.

She uses a plane mirror to demonstrate how light bounces back after hitting a smooth surface. Then she uses a prism, a glass slab and even a glass of water to show how light changes direction when entering another medium.

This demonstration will help students see things that are normally demonstrated in diagrams and formulas. Sharing the video, Nidhi wrote, "Today, I taught my students the concept of reflection of light." She explained that the powder helped make the laser beam visible so students could trace the journey of light more easily, making the lesson interactive and memorable.

Internet applauds the teacher's approach

The practical demonstration has struck a chord with thousands of viewers, many of whom said they wished they had teachers like her during their school days.

One user commented, "None of the AI can replace this practical knowledge."

Another wrote, "That's called a real science teacher."

A third said, "This is so so good!"

Another viewer added, "These little things make me believe in the upcoming education system so much."

Many also praised the new generation of teachers for making difficult subjects less intimidating through hands-on learning rather than rote memorisation.

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