Light and Color: Reflection, Refraction and Absorption Labs

These labs are perfect for helping students explore how reflection, refraction and absorption work. The labs that are included are as follows:

**Student lab sheets are included for each lab, they have places for students to record their hypothesis, materials, observations and conclusions. (question and procedures are already on the sheet). Teacher explanations are also included!

Lab 1: "What will happen to the view of the penny as we add water to the cup?" Students see how refraction makes it possible to see a penny that rests on the bottom of an opaque cup, even while sitting to the side of it!

Lab 2: "What will happen to the view of the straw as we add water to the cup?" Students will see how refraction affects the way we view objects that are in water. Students will observe how their view of the straw changes as water is poured into the cup.

Lab 3: "Can you control the direction in which light travels?" Students will use reflection to redirect beams of light to accomplish certain tasks on their lab sheet. For each task, they must create a diagram of how they achieved this task.

Lab 4: "How goes traveling through a prism affect light?"

Students will observe white light on paper without a prism, and then while passing through a prism. They will make observations and infer how this happens. This shows how refraction can separate out the colors of the visible spectrum.

Lab 5: "How does the color of light affect how we see color?"

Students will see how their perception of color can change depending on the colors in the light. Students will see how reflection and absorption of certain colors control what colors we see!

Besides lab sheets included in this product, here are the materials you will need:

You will need:

Lab 1: per group: 1 opaque plastic cup, 1 penny, 1 cup of water,

Lab 2: per group: 1 clear plastic cup, 1 plastic straw, 1 cup of water,

Lab 3: per group: 1 flashlight, 3 safe mirrors, 3 mirror holders or balls of clay (to help mirrors stand), 1 object, paper

Lab 4: per group: 1 flashlight, 1 prism, paper

Lab 5: 6 - 8 color swatches (felt, paper - make sure to have green, red, white and black, other colors could be blue, yellow, orange or purple), 1 red bulb, 1 green bulb, (I've seen these at large hardware stores or party stores), 1 small lamp for bulbs

**Alternative - You could put small samples of colors in a shoe box and cut a small hole in the side for a flashlight. Then, use colored cellophane to cover the flashlight and act as a filter. Cut a hole in the top of the box large enough for students to observe. You may even be able to use a document camera to show it to the class!

I hope you enjoy this item. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas for custom work, please contact me! Thanks and stop by again soon!

Happy Teaching!

Carrie

carrie.whitlock@gmail.com

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