Outcomes

The questions in the student material are designed to be the basis of a class discussion. They are not designed to be a homework assignment. Your input into the discussion is essential.

The anticipated outcomes for Part 6: Colour are for students to:

• understand that light can be split into different colours
• explain which colours can pass through transparent filters of different colours
• explain which colours are reflected from different coloured surfaces
• relate the light colour to differing energy levels (if Activity 4 is completed)
• explain some of the effects of the scattering of light (if Activity 5 is completed)
• relate energy, wavelength and colour (if Activity 6 is completed).

These outcomes should be indicated in the answers to the questions.

In the closing discussion, the questions below may be appropriate.

Activities 1, 2 and 3

1. Describe some examples of where white light is dispersed into the colours of the spectrum.
2. What are the main colours of the rainbow spectrum?
3. How do television sets and colour magazines reproduce the full range of colours?
4. How would a red rose and a green leaf look when viewed through a piece of red cellophane?
5. What would be the appearance of a blue serviette and a red serviette if both had only blue light shining on them?
6. Describe how a triangular prism can be used to produce a rainbow spectrum.
7. What would happen to the spectrum produced by a triangular prism if a sheet of blue cellophane was placed over the white light source?

Activity 4
How does the colour of a hot (incandescent) object change as it gets hotter and hotter?

Activity 5

1. What is meant by the scattering of light?
2. Which colour is scattered the most? Which the least?

Activity 6

1. Which colour light has the highest frequency electromagnetic waves?
2. Which colour light has electromagnetic waves with the most energy?

You might ask the students to write a summary at this stage.