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Showing results 1 to 20 of 21

Why is the Sky Purple?
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This simple hands-on activity demonstrates why the sky appears blue on a sunny day and red during sunrise and sunset.

Mix-N-Match Light
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This is an online exhibit about color perception. Learners set a random background color and then try to mix red, blue, and green light to match.
Transparent Gelatin
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In this optics activity, learners explore how they can make gelatin stop light, but not stop them from seeing fruit suspended within.
The Bent Pencil
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In this optics activity, learners explore how light bends and affects what we see.

Laser Jello
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In this activity, learners use gelatin as a lens to investigate the properties of laser light.

Make a Light Fountain
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In this optics activity, learners make a "light fountain" from a clear plastic bottle, flashlight, and other simple materials.

Bending Light
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In this optics activity, learners make a lens and explore how the eye manipulates the light that enters it.

Bronx Cheer Bulb
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In this activity, learners observe what happens when they give a light source like a neon glow lamp a "Bronx Cheer." The lights appear to wiggle back and forth and flicker when learners blow air throu

Glue Stick Sunset
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In this activity, learners explore why the sky is blue. Learners model the scattering of light by the atmosphere, which creates the blue sky and red sunset, using a flashlight and clear glue sticks.

Colored Shadows
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In this optics activity, learners discover that not all shadows are black. Learners explore human color perception by using colored lights to make additive color mixtures.

Total Internal Reflection
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In this activity, learners use a laser pointer, empty soda bottle, rubber plug and water to demonstrate total internal reflection.

Why Are Bubbles So Colorful?
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In this activity, learners explore why they can see colors in bubbles and why they change.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Angles of Reflection
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In this optics activity, learners work in pairs to explore how mirrors work. Learners use tape to mark the angles needed to see each other's reflection in a wall mirror.

Light Soda
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In this activity, learners sublimate dry ice and then taste the carbon dioxide gas.

Seeing in the Dark
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In this activity (17th on the page), learners investigate why you cannot see colors in dim light.

Mirrorly a Window
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In this activity about light and reflection, learners discover that what you see is often affected by what you expect to see.
What Causes Rainbows?
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In this activity, learners explore how and why rainbows form by creating rainbows in a variety of ways using simple materials. Learners create rainbows indoors and outdoors.
Interference in a Ripple Tank
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In this optics activity, learners explore interference by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank.

See It to Believe It: Visual Discrimination
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In this activity (12th on the page), learners investigate their ability to discriminate (see) different colors.
Diffraction Between Wax Blocks
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In this optics activity, learners explore diffraction by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank. The wedge-shaped blocks act as obstacles that the wave must bend around.