Making A Rainbow (Dark Room)

Materials you will need:

• Tape
• Water
• Mirror
• Scissors
• White Card
• Dark Room
• Clear Plastic Box
• Flashlight/Torch
• Black Construction (thick) Paper

Steps:

1. Using the black paper, cut out the shape of your flashlight/torch face (area that the light comes out).
2. Cut a small slit in the middle of the black paper cover which you have just cut out.
3. Place the black paper cover over your flashlight/torch and secure it with tape.
4. Fill the plastic box half way with water.
5. Stand the mirror in the water so it leans against the end of the box at an angle..
6. Point your torch so the light beam shines on the mirror through the water (the flashlight/torch should be on the outside of the container and not submerged in the water).
7. Hold up the white card so reflected light coming from the mirror can shine on it.

You can see a rainbow on the white paper. When light travels through water, the light beam slows down and bends. The seven different colors that make up the rainbow all travel at different speeds and therefore each color bends at a slightly different angle. The mirror reflects the different colors so that you see a rainbow or spectrum of the seven separated colors.