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The Primary Colors of Light
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In this activity, learners work in groups of four to explore light. Learners create new colors from the primary colors of light from flashlights covered in theatrical gels or cellophane.
Light and Dark
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Learners examine the properties of light by experimenting with an LED-flashlight and polarizing filters. When two polarizers are used, they block all light when they are placed at right angles.
Beam Me Up!
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This is a quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under Stained Glass Activity) about the "Tyndall effect," the scattering of visible light when it hits very small dispersed particles.
See the World Through Color-Filtering Lenses
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In this activity, learners examine how colored lenses act like filters and absorb all colors of light except for the color of the lenses.
Why are Compact Fluorescent Bulbs More Efficient?
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In this activity, learners explore the relative efficiency of different bulbs, specifically incandescent vs. fluorescent.
Rainbow in the Room
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This activity generates learner excitement about light through the creation of a room-sized rainbow.
Glow in the Dark
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Learners experiment to see which colors of light will cause a phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) material to glow.
Liquid Crystals Interact with Light!
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In this two-part activity, learners explore the properties of liquid crystals, which are responsible for why mood rings change color.
What is Nanotechnology?
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In this activity related to nanotechnology, learners observe some of the effects that result from creating a thin layer of material several nanometers thick.
Kaleidoscope
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In this activity, learners build inexpensive kaleidoscopes using transparency paper and foil (instead of mirrors).
Iridescent Art
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This is a quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under Butterfly Wings Activity) that illustrates how nanoscale structures, so small they're practically invisible, can produce visible/colorful effects.
How does the Atmosphere keep the Earth Warmer?
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In this activity, learners simulate the energy transfer between the earth and space by using the light from a desk lamp desk lamp with an incandescent bulb and a stack of glass plates.
Heavy or Light
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In this activity, learners explore a scale by comparing objects, which look similar but have different weights. Learners predict and then measure the weights of various objects using a scale.
Spots, Lines and Lasers
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Learners shine the light of a laser pointer through sheets of fabric that all have a different number of threads per inch.
Tissue Paper Spray Art
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In this activity, learners observe color mixing and absorbency using colored tissue paper and spray bottles.
What Causes Wind?
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In this sunny day experiment, learners measure and compare how quickly light and dark colored materials absorb heat.
How Thick is Your Hair?
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In this activity on page 13 of the PDF, learners use a laser pointer (with known wavelength of light) to measure the thickness of a human hair.