Our primary objective for this project is to create a
lab activity for future Physical Science students,
providing tactile application and experimentation
with the concepts of light, color, and the
electromagnetic spectrum.
• Student Learning Objective:
– Students shall demonstrate an understanding of terms such as:
light, color, visible spectrum, light absorption, and primary
colors of light
– Students shall design and conduct a shadow wall in order to
gain understanding about the addition of the primary colors of
visible light.
• We hope to better serve the community by:
– Contributing a “Shadow Wall” lab activity to a lab
manual which will be used by future students in
physical science classes at N.W.A.C.C.
– Creating a meaningful learning activity to
motivate inquiry about the nature of light and
the visible spectrum, including color.
• Community contact
– Dianne Phillips
• Enhances learning about Physical Science concepts:
– Electromagnetic Spectrum
– Visible Light Region (and primary colors of light)
– Behavior and nature of light
– Ability to understand changes in color of the sky
• We will be using:
– Camera
– Microsoft Word
– Microsoft PowerPoint
– Internet
• Team: furthering our knowledge of physical science, particularly the
electromagnetic spectrum
• Individuals: incorporate technology into the learning process,
working as a team to achieve our objectives
• Technological: advance our knowledge of Microsoft Office software,
learn to use the micro-lights to make shadow walls
• Communication: interpersonal communication skills to reach our
objectives through group decision making
• Organizational: take a true team approach to division of labor from
research to developing the PowerPoint to final presentation
Materials
• Materials needed
– Room with dim lights
– White wall or large-scale white paper hung on wall
– Table or stand (or some handy volunteers)
– Two small white light “Maglights”
– Three LED micro-flashlights in red, green, and blue
• www.laughingrabbitinc.com/pphoton_ml2.htm
Alternative
Materials List:
In the absence of color
“micro-lights” and white
“Mag-lights,” the following
list makes up faux lights:
•
•
•
•
Household Flashlights
LED Pen lights
Batteries
Cellophane in Red,
Green, and Blue
• Saran Wrap in Red,
Green, and Blue
• Scotch Tape
(Experiment with each for
results best mimicking
micro and Mag-lights)
Flashlights
LED Pen Lights
• To produce color shadows based on the experiment
description of desired results
• To learn about the electromagnetic spectrum by
working through the scientific method
(As shown on “Science Buddies” Website)
1. Ensure “shadow wall” has a white background.
2. Darken the room before mixing green and blue light, guess
what color will result. Then turn on the green and blue
flashlights and combine the lights on the wall. The color you
see on the wall, making of greenish blue is called cyan.
3. Now guess what will happen when you mix green light with
red light, test your guess.
4. Guess the result of red light mixed with blue light. Then test
your guess.
Red + Blue Lights
Red + Green Lights
5. Place the three flashlight on a table, one at each end and one
in the middle. The light of all three flashlights should come
together on the white wall. Stand between the flashlights
and the wall. How many shadows do you have?
6. What colors are they? Experiment by covering or turning off
one light at a time. How do the colors of your shadows
change?
7. Create circle patterns. With the pencil, trace the circle found
on this paper. Make sure the lines are heavy and dark.
8. Turn the patterns over. Keeping the pencil patterns face
down, place the patterns on the stiff cardboard. Go over the
lines of the patterns with a ballpoint pen. Lift the patterns.
You will see faint circle on the cardboard.
R + B + G= “White”
(All frequencies of light
together = a white light)
• Developed two alternative methods to create ‘colored’ lights
• By trial and error, determined LED lights combined with
cellophane was more effective than flashlights + cellophane
• Primary colors of light differ from traditional ‘primary’ colors
Number of
Lights
Color(s) of Lights
1
red
1
green
1
blue
2
red + green
2
red + blue
2
green + blue
3
red + green + blue
Shadow Count
Shadow Color(s)
Wall Color
(Overlapping
Shadows)
Students demonstrated methods of inquiry and observation by utilizing the
above data table during “Shadow Wall” experiment.
Low Frequency
Low Energy
Long Wavelengths
High Frequency
High Energy
Short Wavelengths
Electronic Radiation
Radio waves
Microwaves
X-Rays
Gamma
Cosmic
Presenting Lesson
(Discussing the nature of
light, describing frequency,
wavelengths, and
relationship to energy
across a period of time)
Below:
“Electromagnetic Spectrum
Student Activity”
Kendra Taylor
Aimee Tackett
A Special “Thank You” to Jennifer Echeverri for providing photographs!
"Blue Skies and Red Sunsets." The Physics Classroom. 24 June 2009. 24 Jun 2009
<http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/u12l2f.cfm>.
Doherty, Paul. "Colored Shadow Explorations." Scientific Explorations. 22 May 2000. 24 June 2009
<http://isaac.exploratorium.edu/~pauld/summer_institute/summer_day6color/colored_shadow_explorati
on.html>.
"IMAGERS - Primary Colors Diagram." 23 03 2007. NASA. 25 Jun 2009
<http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/teachersite/UL1diag.htm>.
Miller, Bob. "A Light-Hearted Discussion." 24 Jun 2009. Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art, and Human
Perception. 24 Jun 2009 <http://www.exploratorium.edu/light_walk/intro.html>.
"Technicolor Shadows: Lessons in Light and Color." Science Buddies. 02/05/2009. 12 Jun 2009
<http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Phys_p035.shtml>.