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I can plan and carry out an investigation using everyday materials to show how light can be refracted.
Anchor Phenomenon
Anchor Phenomenon
Look at the picture below. Are rainbows seen more frequently in certain places? Where do rainbows come from? Is it raining? Is rain needed for rainbows? Where does this rainbow start and stop?
Highlight below to find out how rainbows form.
Rainbows form when light strikes water droplets or raindrops in the air at a precise angle in relation to the viewer, refracting the light. Refraction causes white light to separate into the visible spectrum (the colors of light that we can see), which allows us to see rainbows. In a sense, the water droplets act like mini-prisms for light.
STEM Prompt: What allows us to see rainbows?
STEM Prompt: What allows us to see rainbows?
Mini Lesson
Mini Lesson
Light travels in a straight line as it passes through a transparent substance. But, when it moves from one transparent material to another of different density—for example, from air to water or from glass to air—it bends. This is called refraction.
When the media that light passes through changes, it can also change the speed at which light moves. In the case of refraction, light passes from one medium (typically air) into a second medium that slows it down (water, glass, etc). The slower speed can change our perception of what we see in one of two ways:
White light can be separated into a spectrum, which is the case with rainbows.
An angle can be created in the path at which light changes speeds, causing us to perceive angles in our vision.
Read pages 48-49 of your Interactive Notebook to learn more about refraction. Write a definition and create an illustration to help you remember the meaning of refraction.
Use the items at your desk to investigate how different materials refract light. Record findings on pagev 50 of your Interactive Notebook.
Investigate
Investigate
What do you know about refraction?
Sum It Up
Sum It Up
The diagram shows the ways light travels or behaves when shone into water. Which beam of light is the result of refraction?
The diagram shows the ways light travels or behaves when shone into water. Which beam of light is the result of refraction?
Beam A
Beam B
Beam C
Beam D
Teacher-led Small Group
Teacher-led Small Group
Which investigations will explore the concept of refracted light?
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