Observe - Light and Colour


You saw in the last activity how shining white light through a prism produced a rainbow of colours.

We call this rainbow a spectrum.  White light contains all the colours of the spectrum mixed together: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.  We can see the colours only when they are separated. 
       

 Notebook: How does light produce colour?


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Activity Links:



 Check Your Answers


Note-Taking Organizer

Topic: Colour (What is the video about?)

Main Ideas: Fill in the blanks with the missing words, and write response as required.

What are the main colours that make up visible light (the spectrum)?

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet

What is white light?

It is a combination of all the colours of the rainbow.

What colour light is reflected by the grass?

What colours of light are absorbed by the grass?

The grass reflects green light and absorbs all the other colours.

What are the three primary colours of light?

Red, blue, and green

What happens when you mix the three primary colours of light?

It turns white.

What happens when you mix the three primary colours of paint?

It turns black.


Science Connection

Raindrops can act as a prism and separate white light into the spectrum of colours.  This is how a rainbow is produced.  The light in the sky is refracted through the water in the raindrops.