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Spin a Color Wheel and See WhiteNext
Did you know that there is actually no such thing as white-colored light? The light that we all perceive as white is actually a mixture of many colors. When white light splits into a rainbow, for example, we can see seven of its component colors clearly. This project demonstrates how mixing the light from these seven colors produces the appearance of white light. Things You Need![]() White sheet of
printer paper ![]() Round pencil
![]() Scissors
![]() Glue
(Touch or hover over each item for more information)
How To Make ItPrint the "Rainbow pattern" shown above on a sheet of paper using a color printer. If you do not have a printer, you can make the pattern by hand using colored markers.
Things To Try![]() Bring the color disk outside in the sun or take it to a room lit with white fluorescent light. Holding the pencil in one hand, spin the disk as fast as possible. Observe how the colors blend as the wheel spins. The faster you spin the disk, the better the colors will blend. How It WorksOur eyes work a lot like video cameras and can perceive roughly 30 pictures per second. The time it takes to capture one picture is called the integration time. When the color disc is still, you can see each individual color clearly. When you spin the disc quickly, though, each of the seven colors whiz past your eyes during the integration time. When this happens, your eye starts adding the colors together. The disc then appears to be colored solid grey or white. Bigshot ConnectionsFun Facts
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[1] | N. Ardley, 101 great science experiments. DK Publishing, 2006 |
[2] | "Electromagnetic spectrum." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum. [Accessed: Jan 20, 2013]. |
[3] | "Dispersion of light." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispersion_(optics). [Accessed: Jan 20, 2013]. |
[4] | Images processed by Vischeck Software. Available: http://www.vischeck.com/. [Accessed: Jan 20, 2013]. |