The Magic of Light – Using spectroscopes and colour wheels to study the properties of light
In this set of eight activities, pupils work individually or in groups to build a spectroscope that can be used to look at light sources possibly including the Sun, LEDs, and a screen. By doing this they will understand that white light can be broken down into many different colours, and that complex colours are made up of combinations of the three basic colours (red, green and blue). They can then make their own complex colours by mixing basic colours in a colour wheel, and can make white light with a colour wheel containing all the colours of the rainbow.
Subject Science, Art and Design
• Understanding the methods and processes of science
• Exploring ideas and asking relevant questions to expand understanding
• Exploring, talking about, testing of everyday phenomena
• Recognising and controlling variables when necessary
• Reporting findings from a scientific study in oral and written form
• Improving spoken language skills through discussion of results
• Exploring ideas and recording experiences through creative work and
• Using a variety of materials and techniques
![](https://climatedetectives.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SWAP_sees_the_Sun_pillars-300x296.jpg)
• Thick black A4 paper
• Printed A4 spectroscope design
• CD or DVD
• Glue stick
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Adhesive tape
• Spectroscope
• Phone Camera (Optional)
• Water or magnifying glass
• Screen (e.g. a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet)
• Spectroscope
• Screen (e.g. a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet)
• Spectroscope
• Screen (e.g. a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet)
the effects of combining different basic colours. They will understand that we can combine the basic colours (red, green and blue) to make
more complex colours.
• Colour wheel template
• Cardboard (at least the size of the colour wheel template)
• Colouring pens if using template 3 (choose two out of red, green, and blue)
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• String (the same length as your height!)
• Torch
![](https://climatedetectives.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Picture8.png)
• Colour wheel template
• Cardboard (at least the size of the colour wheel template)
• Colouring pens (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet)
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• String (the same length as your height!)
• Torch
![](https://climatedetectives.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Picture7-150x150.png)
Did you know?
We see rainbows when it is sunny and rainy at the same time. Raindrops in the air split white light from the Sun into lots of colours, in a similar way that your spectroscope just did. What colours do you see when you look at a rainbow?
![](https://climatedetectives.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Over_the_rainbow_pillars-300x169.jpg)
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