9) Color and Prisms Project 🌈

🏎 Color and Prisms Project STEM Project 🌈

This beautiful optics project explores the phenomenon of dispersion, where white light is separated into its constituent colors (the spectrum). You will investigate how a prism or similar material works to bend different wavelengths of light at different angles, demonstrating key principles of light and color theory.

The project is divided into two main phases: Quarter 1 for Design & Trifold Preparation and Quarter 2 for Building & Testing your model.

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💡 Phase 1: Concept & Design & Trifold Preparation (Quarter 1)

This critical phase involves defining the entire experiment, documenting the design plan, and preparing all non-data sections of your trifold display. You must prepare sections 1 through 5 below for your Quarter 1 deadline.

1. Hypothesis and Research Question

How does the light source or the prism material affect the purity and width of the spectrum produced?

• Research Question: “Do different light sources (e.g., sunlight vs. fluorescent) produce the same visible color spectrum when passed through a prism?”
• Hypothesis: If we pass sunlight through a prism, it will produce a fuller, continuous spectrum (ROYGBIV) compared to light from a fluorescent bulb because sunlight contains all visible wavelengths evenly, while the fluorescent light has discrete emission lines.

2. Materials and Variables

List all items needed for the build and identify the elements that will be controlled or measured.

Materials You'll Need

• Prism (glass or acrylic) or a similar dispersing object (e.g., clear container of water, CD)
• Various light sources (sunlight, incandescent bulb, fluorescent bulb, LED)
• Slit card – thin opening cut into black cardboard to create a narrow beam of light
• White screen (sheet of white paper or white cardboard) and measuring tools (ruler, protractor – optional)
• Darkened room or shaded area (recommended for indoor tests)
• Optional: small box or stack of books to support the prism at the correct height

Variables

• Independent Variable: Type of light source or the angle the light enters the prism
• Dependent Variable: Visible colors in the spectrum and the width of the dispersed beam
• Constants: Prism material, distance from prism to screen, slit width.

3. Procedures (Design & Documentation)

Your Quarter 1 procedure focuses on the trifold content. The actual building steps are performed in Quarter 2.

1. Write your project title: “Color and Prisms Project”.
2. State your research question and hypothesis.
3. Draw a labeled diagram showing white light entering a prism and separating into the spectrum, labeling the different bending angles for red and violet light.
   (You can add a printed diagram or your own drawing of dispersion through a prism on your trifold.)
4. Explain in a short paragraph why violet light bends more than red light (i.e., the concept of wavelength dependence on refractive index).

4. Expected Results

Based on your research and knowledge of physics, what do you expect to happen?

The white light entering the prism should be clearly separated into the visible spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). Violet light should bend the most (be on the bottom of the projected spectrum) and Red light should bend the least (be on the top), as violet light has a shorter wavelength and a higher refractive index.

5. Expected Conclusion (Pre-analysis)

How will your results theoretically support your hypothesis?

The experiment should support the hypothesis, confirming that white light is a composite of all colors. The observation that colors separate at different angles confirms the principle of dispersion, where the speed of light within the medium (the prism) is wavelength-dependent, demonstrating the relationship 1/v = n (where v is the speed and n is the refractive index).

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🛠 Phase 2: Working Model (Quarter 2)

In this phase, you will build the actual prism setup (device) and compare spectra from different light sources.

Construction and Testing Procedures

1. Create the slit card:
   • Take a piece of black cardboard and cut a small, straight slit (about 1–3 mm wide and a few cm long) in the center.
   • Place this card in front of your light source so that only a thin beam passes through.
2. Set up the prism:
   • Place the prism on a stable surface (table, box, or stack of books).
   • Rotate it so that the light from the slit enters one of the rectangular faces and exits through the opposite face.
3. Position the screen:
   • Place a sheet of white paper or a white cardboard screen on the other side of the prism.
   • Adjust the distance between prism and screen (start around 30–50 cm) until you can see the colors clearly.
4. Test 1 – Sunlight or strong white light:
   • Use sunlight shining through a window or a bright white lamp.
   • Shine the light through the slit, into the prism, and onto the screen.
   • Slowly rotate the prism until a bright rainbow forms on the screen. Record the order of colors and the width of the spectrum (you can measure it with a ruler).
5. Test 2 – Fluorescent or LED light:
   • Repeat the same setup using a fluorescent tube or LED lamp.
   • Adjust the prism and screen until you see the spectrum.
   • Observe any differences: Are some colors missing or less bright? Is the spectrum narrower or less continuous?
6. Optional – Change the angle of incidence:
   • Slightly change the angle at which the beam enters the prism.
   • Note how the angle of deviation and spectrum position move on the screen.
7. Record and analyze:
   • Draw diagrams of your setup for each light source.
   • Make a comparison table (Light source vs. colors seen vs. spectrum width).
   • Use your observations to explain how the spectrum from sunlight differs from artificial light.

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📜 Trifold Display Board Instructions

Your final project will be presented on a standard trifold display board (approx. 37 inches high and 48 inches wide when fully open).

Board Size & Suggested Layout

Organize your board to be easy to read from left to right and top to bottom.

Panel	Suggested Content
Top Center	Project Title (Big and Bold)
Left Panel	Question / Problem, Background / Introduction, Hypothesis
Center Panel	Materials, Procedures (steps), Photos / Diagrams, Graphs / Tables (your data)
Right Panel	Results (what happened), Conclusion, Reflection / What you learned

Design Tips for a Professional Look

• Title: Use a short, clear title that can be read from across the room.
• Clarity: Print all text on white or light-colored paper.
• Font Size Guidelines:
  • Title: 72 pt or bigger
  • Headings: 32–48 pt
  • Body text: 18–24 pt
• Aesthetics: Keep it neat—align boxes, use rulers, and avoid crowded text. Use 2–3 matching colors for borders and headings.
• Visuals: Add photos, labeled diagrams, and charts (your data) to make the board engaging.

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🎬 Helpful Videos

Rainbow Prism Experiment

This video shows a simple, kid-friendly prism rainbow experiment similar to your project. Watch it to see how to position the prism, light source, and screen.

Trifold Design Tutorial

Tip: Plan your layout on scrap paper first, then print, cut, and finally glue everything onto the board.