Colors of the rainbow
Background
WOW, look at that rainbow! If you count the colors of the rainbow, you will see that there are seven of them AND they are always are in the same order! Why don't we work together to make your own real rainbows? I am going to tell you three fun ways of making a rainbow. You may not be able to see all the colors all the time, but you will definitely see some of them.
Let's do science...
The Experiments
Can you remember any of the colors you have seen in a rainbow? (Check out the definition for "white light" in the science dictionary to understand that the
colors of the rainbow make up white light
.)
Think about when and where you have seen rainbows. Do any of these situations have any similarities (or common elements)? From this can you think of what may help make a rainbow.
The Aim
To make a rainbow and find out what the colors of the rainbow are.
Experiment 1
Equipment Needed
A sunny morning or afternoon (midday doesn’t work)
A hosepipe with a fine spray on it
Method
Do this experiment at least 2 hours before or after noon.
Stand looking toward the sun (but don’t look at the sun itself because this can damage your eyes).
Hold the hosepipe so that it is spraying into the sunlight.
What do you see?
Experiment 2
Equipment Needed
A feather – a nice big one, for example from a duck. Make sure it is not a “fluffy” one, but a “stiff” one, like the ones they have in their wings.
A candle and matches (or lighter)
Method
Light the candle. (WARNING: get your parents to help with this so that you don't burn yourself!)
Take the feather and put it close to your eyes and look at the candle light through it. You may need to block one eye and hold the feather very close to the other. You need to be a few steps away from the candle.
Experiment 3
Equipment Needed
A sunny day
A cut glass or crystal ornament (ask mom or dad if you can use them before you do)
Some string
Method
Either put or hang (using the string) the ornament in a window which has the sun coming through it.
Results
This is what you should see happening...
Experiment 1: A rainbow will form in the mist of the hosepipe spray. This is what is happening in the fine spray made from this fountain.
Experiment 2: You will see colors through the feather as you look at the candle flame.
Experiment 3: There will be rainbow colors on the walls of the room where the window is. These may be broken into pieces, depending on the shape of the glass ornament you have used.
Write down what the colors of the rainbow are. You should have seen at least some of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
You may not see all the colors every time as sometimes the rainbow is thin and the colors mix into each other or there are bits and pieces of rainbow.
The Conclusion
The water, feather and ornament broke up the white light. White light can be broken up and when this happens you can make a rainbow and so see what the colors of light are.
So, when light is broken or split one can see that it is actually made from the colors of the rainbow. So in fact white is not a color but is actually 7 colors in one. (For more on this check out the middle school science fair project –
You light up my shirt
.)
Back to “Look at all the pretty colors – what are rainbows” project page
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