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Exploring Materials: Nano Gold
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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.
  
Physics in a Glass: Reversing Arrows
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  In this simple activity, learners investigate refraction by placing a picture of an arrow behind a glass of water.
  
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
  
Make a Prism
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  In this activity, learners will make their own prism and use a glass of water to separate sunlight into different colors.
  
Exploring Materials: Thin Films
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  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.
  
Rainbow Film
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  In this activity, learners use clear nail polish to create a beautiful iridescent pattern on black paper. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.
  
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.
  
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.
  
It's all Done with Mirrors
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  This fun and simple hands-on astronomy activity illustrates the path of light as it reflects off of mirrors and how this is used in telescopes.
  
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.
  
X-Ray Spectra
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  In this activity, learners use simple materials to simulate the effect of X-rays in a safe way. Learners place a piece of window screen over a box and a cardboard pattern on top of the screen.
  
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.
  
Changing Colors
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  In this activity, learners will explore how different colors of lights interact with objects around them. Will a blue object stay blue with a red filter?
  
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.
  
Pearlescent Pigments
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  This is written as a display, but can easily be adapted to a hands-on activity. Learners observe and shake containers of shiny liquids.
  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.
  
Color Contrast
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  Do you have a hard time matching paint swatches with your furniture? When you consider human perception, color is context dependent.
  
Gray Step
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  In this activity, learners discover that it's difficult to distinguish between two different shades of gray when they aren't separated by a boundary.
  
Phantom Phlame
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  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.
  
Color Table: Color your perception
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  Look at pictures through different color filters and you'll see them in a new way. People have used color filters in beautiful photography or sending secret messages.