COLORS AND LIGHT

BEAMING COLORS

MATERIALS

Flashlight
Different colors of balloons, or colored cellophane
Scissors
Rubber band
Dark room

PROCEDURE

1. Cut balloon (or cellophane) and stretch it over the end of a flashlight, secure in place with rubber band
2. Turn on flashlight and beam the colored light to the ceiling, noting its color
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 using different colors of balloons

EXPLANATION

The balloon works real well as a ‘filter.’ You can also do this with pieces of colored cellophane or plastic. White light consists of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet colors. The ‘filter’ absorbs all those colors except for the one it transmits; for instance, a green balloon is absorbing red, orange, yellow, blue and violet, and transmitting green.

The 8 to 10-year-old probably will not understand the term ‘transmits.’ Use ‘beams’ or ‘sends out’ instead. If the child can picture beaming colors of light out of the flashlight using a filter, this will prepare them for learning the concept of white light consisting of multiple colors, some absorbed and one transmitted, when they are older. Prisms can be used to separate white light when they are older.