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Radiation Budget Activity:
Making a Prism

 Radiation of energy from the sun.

Grade Level: 5-8

National Science Content Standards

Physical Science:
  1. Transfer of Energy
Science as Inquiry:
  1. Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry
  2. Understanding about scientific inquiry
Earth and Space Science:
  1. Earth in the Solar System
  2. Structure of the Earth System

Description of Activity

What color is light?

Materials

  1. 3 microscope slides or pieces of clear plastic
  2. Clay
  3. Water
  4. Transparent tape
  5. Flashlight or lamp

Safety and Precautions:

If microscope slides are used, they can be sharp and break. Handle with care.

Procedures

  1. Students make a prism by taping 3 microscope slides or pieces of clear plastic together, making a tight seal, to form a triangle.

  2. On a flat surface, that is against a dark wall or other dark material press one open end of the triangle into a chunk of clay to form a base. Fill the top open end with water.

  3. Shine a flashlight or position a lamp so light rays go through the prism and onto the dark surface.

  4. What happens to the light beams? What do we see on the wall? What is happening?

Results and Discussion

Ask again: "What color is light?"

  1. Have students report (orally or in writing) what their theory was, what their investigation or experiment was about, their observations, and their conclusions.

  2. Have students make prisms and do experiments with other students. Look for evidence that they understand what a prism is, how white light is really made up of a variety of color rays.

Source:

This lesson developed by Reach Out! (http://www.umich.edu/~reachout/)
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