ACS: Science ABCs - 'R' is for Rainbow

Rosie’s always coloring—
It’s what she likes to do.
She colors in the classroom.
She colors at the zoo.

One day when it stopped raining,
A rainbow soon appeared.
Young Rosie tried to paint it,
Before the rainbow cleared.

Rainbows never stay too long—
Their colors fade away.
Rosie needs some help from you
To make the colors stay!

 

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What You’ll Need

  • white unlined paper
  • tape
  • CD or DVD
  • flashlight

 

How does Rosie make her own rainbow?

Light from a flashlight, the sun, a candle, or other light source is
made up of different colors or wavelengths of light. When light passes through certain objects—such as prisms, rain droplets, or a CD—the different wavelengths can be bent at different angles. This makes the colors separate, so we see them as the individual colors of the rainbow.


Science Topics
Light & Colors, Physics
K-6
Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade
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ACS (American Chemical Society)

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