Cool off while exploring properties of light. Try it and let us know how it works!

Supplies:

A warm, sunny morning or afternoon (it works best when the sun is not directly above you)

A garden hose hooked up to a water source

Steps:

  1. Stand with your back to the sun and find your shadow on the ground.
  2. Start the water so it’s running through your hose.
  3. Place a finger over the nozzle so the water sprays out in a fine mist.
  4. Spray the water in front of your shadow. Play with the position of the spray until you find just the right angle to make your rainbow appear.
  5. Look carefully. Can you find a 2nd rainbow just outside the first one? If you can, you’ve created a double rainbow.

Why this experiment works: When light moves from air into something clear (like water from the hose), the light slows down. When light hits the water at an angle, the light bends when it slows down. Different colors bend by different amounts and separate into the colors you see in the rainbow.

Your turn: What other clear substances have you seen create rainbows?

Source: Exploratopia, 2006: The Exploratorium. P. 306-307