Science: Make a Rainbow: Light and Prisms
Exploring how white light can split into many colors
Science: Make a Rainbow: Light and Prisms
Exploring how white light can split into many colors
Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
White light from the Sun can be split into many colors. Name three colors you might see in a rainbow.
Think about the colors you see after it rains and the Sun comes out.
Three colors you might see in a rainbow are red, yellow, and blue. Other rainbow colors include orange, green, indigo, and violet. - 2
A prism is a clear object that can bend light. What can happen when white light passes through a prism?
When white light passes through a prism, the light can bend and spread out into different colors. This can make a small rainbow. - 3
Circle the best choice: Light travels in straight lines until it hits something, or light travels in curly loops all the time. Explain your choice.
Think about a flashlight beam shining across a dark room.
Light travels in straight lines until it hits something. It can change direction when it reflects off a surface or bends as it passes through some materials. - 4
A student shines a flashlight through a prism onto white paper. Why is white paper a good place to look for the rainbow colors?
White paper is a good place to look because it reflects the rainbow colors so our eyes can see them clearly. Dark paper might make the colors harder to see. - 5
Put these rainbow colors in order from first to last: yellow, red, violet, green, orange, blue. Start with red.
A rainbow often starts with red on the outside and violet on the inside.
The colors in order are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. These are common colors seen in a rainbow. - 6
Rainbows can appear when sunlight shines through tiny water drops in the air. How are the water drops like tiny prisms?
The water drops are like tiny prisms because they can bend sunlight and split it into different colors. This helps make a rainbow in the sky. - 7
A mirror reflects light, but a prism bends and separates light. What does reflect mean?
Think about seeing your face in a mirror.
Reflect means to bounce off. When light reflects from a mirror, it bounces off the shiny surface and travels in a new direction. - 8
Which setup is more likely to make rainbow colors: shining a flashlight through a clear prism or shining a flashlight at a red backpack? Explain why.
Shining a flashlight through a clear prism is more likely to make rainbow colors. A prism can bend and separate white light, but a red backpack does not split light into many colors. - 9
Draw or describe what you would see if white light went into one side of a prism and came out the other side.
The prism changes one beam of white light into many colors.
You would see white light enter the prism and different colors come out the other side. The colors would spread apart like a small rainbow. - 10
Why is it important not to look directly at the Sun when trying to see or make rainbow colors?
Eye safety is always important during science activities with bright light.
It is important not to look directly at the Sun because bright sunlight can hurt your eyes. A safe activity uses reflected light, a flashlight, or adult help.