Understanding principles and operation of optical fibers is important for students of physics due to
increased applications of fiber optics in today’s technological world. In an effort to devise new
activities to study such fibers, we obtained samples of wavelength-shifting WLS optical fibers, used
in construction of research-grade particle detectors. Qualitative experiments in our laboratories
examined how these fibers interact with various colors of visible light. From these results, student
activities were developed to increase critical thinking in introductory physics courses and to
facilitate students’ progression from traditional-classroom to research-oriented settings.