How Many Colors in a Rainbow?

KEY CONCEPTS

Wavelength, refraction, reflection, rainbow, visible light

CREDITS

Megan Arnett, PhD, Science Buddies

Have you seen a rainbow in the sky after a rain shower? How many colors were there? A rainbow is often described as having seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, but you might spot a rainbow and see fewer colors. Or you might see more than seven! It can be tricky to count the colors in a rainbow, because they all blend together so seamlessly.

Want to see for yourself? In this activity you will explore the physics of light and create your own mini-rainbows. How many colors will your rainbows have?

Materials needed:

• A shallow glass baking pan
• Water
• A white piece of paper
• A red piece of paper
• A blue piece of paper
• Sunlight
• An outdoor table, chair, or helper to hold the pan for you

Make a Miniature Water Cycle



KEY CONCEPTS

Water Cycle, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, infiltration

CREDITS

Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies

Have you ever wondered where the rain that falls from the sky comes from? You might say the rain falls from the clouds, but what are clouds and where do they come from? All these questions and many more can be answered by looking into how water moves on land and in the atmosphere, which is described in the water cycle. In this activity, you will investigate some of the processes that make water move in and out of the atmosphere by making a miniature water cycle model inside a plastic bag.

Materials needed:

• Re-sealable snack-size plastic bags (2)
• Permanent marker
• Water
• Liquid measuring cup
• Tablespoon
• Strong tape, like duct tape
• Blue food coloring
• Area that gets lots of sun and another that gets very little sun during the day
• Optional: Sand or dirt
• Optional: Larger pieces of rock that will fit in the bag, at least 2