S3.9.4 For the adult
The colours of light
Where do the colours of a rainbow come from?
What this chapter teaches
White light is a mix of colours. A prism, or a mirror in water, bends each colour by a different amount, red least and violet most. The spread is the spectrum. A rainbow is made when raindrops do the same, with the Sun behind the viewer.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Which colour bends the least, and which bends the most?
- Why does a rainbow need both sunshine and rain?
- Where do you stand to see a rainbow, and why is that also the safe place?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Split light into colours with a mirror in a dish of water
- Name the colours of the spectrum in order
- Explain how raindrops make a rainbow
What they copy into their notebook
White light is a mix of colours. A prism spreads it into a spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Red bends the least. A rainbow is made by raindrops, with the Sun behind you.