The Colors of the Rainbow

When light goes through glass at an angle, it spreads out into all the colors of the rainbow.

You can do this easily at home yourself with a glass of water and a sunny window.

In front of a window where the sun is shining, place a clear glass of water on the edge of a table.  Put a sheet of white paper on the floor where the rainbow will appear.  Move the glass and the paper to get the best view.

As the sunlight hits the water, the light is bent downward, spreading out to make a rainbow.

This is called refraction and we’ll talk more about it later when we explore light in a section of its own.

For now, if it’s a sunny day, go get some water and try this!