Search Results
Showing results 1 to 20 of 21

CD Spectroscope
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners use an old CD to construct a spectroscope, a device that separates light into its component colors.

Reflecting Rainbows: Decorate Your White Walls With Rainbow Colors!
Source Institutions
Like water drops in falling rain, a CD separates white light into all the colors that make it up.

Water Illusions: Refraction & Magnification
Source Institutions
Learners demonstrate how water can distort, refract and magnify light.

The Liquid Rainbow
Source Institutions
Learners are challenged to discover the relative densities of colored liquids to create a rainbow pattern in a test tube.

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

Light and Sound
Source Institutions
In this four-part activity, learners explore light and sound through a variety of hands-on investigations.
What Causes Rainbows?
Source Institutions
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.

Density Rainbow
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners mix several sugar solutions to investigate the property of density. Each sugar solution has a different density and color of the rainbow.
Why is the Sky Blue?
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create a "mini sky" in a glass of water in a dark room.

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

Camera Projector
Source Institutions
In this activity (posted on March 14, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a camera projector to explore lenses and refraction.

On the Fringe (formerly Bridge Light)
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners trap a thin layer of air between two pieces of Plexiglas to produce rainbow-colored interference patterns.

Release the Rainbow
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create a water prism to break light into the seven colors of the rainbow.

Colored Shadows
Source Institutions
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.
Splitting White Light
Source Institutions
In this optics activity, learners split white light into all its component colors using three household items: a compact disc, dishwashing liquid, and a hose (outside).

Soap Film on a Can
Source Institutions
The beautiful iridescent colors of a bubble in a can! With this Exploratorium Science Snack, create beautiful soap films on the open end of a can to see beautiful rainbows of color.

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

Spinning Your (Color) Wheels
Source Institutions
In this optics activity, learners use everyday materials to make a color wheel. When learners spin the wheel like a top, they will be surprised to see all the colors mixing together to appear white.
Mix and Match
Source Institutions
In this optics activity, learners explore color by examining color dots through colored water and the light of a flashlight.

Rainbow Refraction
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners will explore how light can refract or break apart into different colors.