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An experiment to see if rainbow will form on the wall when the light is shined into the water.
Materials: Download the PDF version of this project for printer-friendly English and Spanish version, plus teacher notes.
Plan: PROBLEM: How can I make a spectrum (rainbow)? RESEARCH: Look up visible light, spectrum, or rainbows in a science
textbook or encyclopedia. Write two or three paragraphs on what you learned. HYPOTHESIS: What do you think you need to do to make a rainbow? MATERIALS: flashlight
shallow bowl of water
pocket mirror
protractor PROCEDURE: - Use the protractor to set the mirror in the bowl at 30
degrees from the bottom of the bowl. Use clay or wax to hold the mirror
in place.
- Darken the room (or do the project at night).
- Shine the flashlight toward the mirror.
- Describe what you see.
- Enrichment: On a very sunny day, spray the hose in an arc. Move around
the spray until you see a rainbow in the spray. Based on what you
have learned, explain why a rainbow forms in the spray.
DATA: Make a data table to record your observations. CONCLUSION: This is not optional. You must explain what you learned by doing
this activity. Remember that you must answer the question you asked in your
original problem statement. NOTE: BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGNS YOUR WORK.
PARENTS: YOUR SIGNATURE SHOWS YOUR STUDENT HAS DONE THE WORK. | 
