What Is A Simple Science Experiment I Can Do With Kids?

Show them that ordinary light is actually composed of many wavelengths of different-coloured light.

You need:
one glass of water
one small mirror (needs to fit inside the glass)
one piece of paper (or a torch, flashlight, if working in the dark).

Place the mirror in the glass of water. Make sure it lies at an angle (leaning against the side of the glass).

If working in the day, put the glass in full sunshine. Angle the bit of paper around to the sides; you will get rainbows on the paper. You may have to angle the paper a bit to get the colours in focus.

Alternatively, work in a dark room, and use a torch (flashlight). Shine the light at the mirror in the glass and a rainbow will appear on the walls.

HOW IT WORKS:
The water is bending the light (refraction). Ordinary "white" light is actually made up of light waves of different colours. Each colour has it's own wavelength; the difference in wave length causes different colour light to bend different amounts in the water. Hence the colours separate out.

This is how a prism or crystal hanging in a sunlit window works, too.

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