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In this activity, learners discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue. They learn that a material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.

In this simple activity, learners investigate refraction by placing a picture of an arrow behind a glass of water.

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

In this activity, learners will make their own prism and use a glass of water to separate sunlight into different colors.

In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

In "Exploring the Universe: Exoplanet Transits," participants simulate one of the methods scientists use to discover planets orbiting distant stars.

Make a big canvas of iridescent color with pvc pipe! In this Exploratorium Science Snack, you'll need to cut and assemble some PVC pipe, but the pay-off, the soap-bubble canvas, is big.

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.

In this optics activity, learners explore how light bends and affects what we see.

Learners use two mirrors to explore how images of images of images can repeat forever.

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

"Exploring the Universe: Filtered Light" demonstrates how scientists can use telescopes and other tools to capture and filter different energies of light to study the universe.

In this activity about light and reflection, learners use a special device called a Mirage Maker™ to create an illusion.

In this activity about light and reflection, learners discover that what you see is often affected by what you expect to see.

In this activity, learners use a flashlight, a glass of water, and some milk to examine why the sky is blue and sunsets are red.

In this optics activity, learners explore how they can make gelatin stop light, but not stop them from seeing fruit suspended within.

Do you have a hard time matching paint swatches with your furniture? When you consider human perception, color is context dependent.

In this activity, learners actually feel the difference in energy required to light two different types of light bulbs: incandescent light and LEDs.

In this optics activity, learners examine how polarized light can reveal stress patterns in clear plastic.

In this trick, hold your hand over a burning candle without getting burned, by reflecting and transmitting the light of two candles. This activity is best suited as a demonstration.