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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.

Stretch the Chain and See the Light
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In this activity, learners use their strength to light a light bulb. A chain made from paper clips is placed in series with a battery and flashlight bulb.

Release the Rainbow
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In this activity, learners create a water prism to break light into the seven colors of the rainbow.
Triboluminescence
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In this activity, learners discover what happens when they crush wintergreen-flavored candies in a very dark room.

Parabolas: It's All Done with Mirrors
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In this activity about light and reflection, learners use a special device called a Mirage Maker™ to create an illusion.

The Geophysical Light/Dark Cycle
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This is an activity (located on page 131 of the PDF) related to sleep and circadian rhythms as well as space travel.

Rainbow in the Room
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This activity generates learner excitement about light through the creation of a room-sized rainbow.

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.

Diffraction
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In this optics activity, demonstrate diffraction using a candle or a small bright flashlight bulb and a slide made with two pencils.

Dark Adaptation
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In this activity (6th on the page), learners investigate how photoreceptors in the eye (rods and cones) "adapt" to low light conditions.

Transit Tracks
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In this space science activity, learners explore transits and the conditions when a transit may be seen.

Vanishing Rods
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This is a quick activity/demonstration that introduces learners to the concept of index of refraction. Learners place stirring rods in a jar of water and notice they can see them clearly.
Gelatin Optic Fibers
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In this activity, learners make optical fibers out of strips of gelatin.

Light as Air
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In this physics activity (page 6 of the PDF), learners will demonstrate air has weight by comparing an inflated balloon to a deflated one.

Disappearing Glass Rods
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In this optics activity, learners discover how they can make glass objects "disappear." Learners submerge glass objects like stirring rods into a beaker of Wesson™ oil to explore how the principles of

Solar Energy
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In this activity (page 11 of PDF), learners compare the air pressure within a dark and a light bottle both heated by the sun, and discover that solar energy can be collected and stored in many ways

Accommodating Accommodation
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In this demonstration (18th on the page), learners conduct a simple test to explore how the cornea refracts light, which is further bent by the eye lens through a process known as accommodation.
Why is the Sky Blue?
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In this activity, learners create a "mini sky" in a glass of water in a dark room.

Bubble Suspension
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In this activity, learners observe as soap bubbles float on a cushion of carbon dioxide gas. Learners blow bubbles into an aquarium filled with a slab of dry ice.

Diet Light
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In this quick activity, learners observe how the added sugar in a can of soda affects its density and thus, its ability to float in water.