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Red car goes black? science experiment : Fizzics Education

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Red car goes black?

Red car goes black?

Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments:

You will need:

  • A strong torch or green spotlight
  • A strong rubber band
  • Green cellophane
  • One red object. We used a red toy car. But you can use a tomato.
  • A very dark room
  • If you have a green spotlight the effect is more pronounced

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Red car goes black science experiment - materials needed
1 Create coloured shadows science experiment - three torches with red _ blue _ green cellophane

Place the green cellophane over the torch and secure it with a rubber band. Alternatively, turn on your green spotlight.

NB: You could also try different torches to see the effect!

Darken the room and shine the green light on the red object.

2 Red car goes black science experiment - red car under normal light

What colour do you see when normal lights are on?

3 Red car goes black science experiment - red car under green light

Try different coloured objects and lights. Is the effect always the same?

This science experiment works very well if you have access to a green spotlight.

4 Colouring sticky tape red with a pen marker

BTW – If you can’t get cellophane and torches, you can also colour some sticky tape with a felt tip pen. You can then place this over a phone camera lens.

5 A Apple iPhone with coloured sticky tape over the camera lens

Try different pen inks – does this have the same effect as the cellophane and torch?

6 A child standing in front of red, green & blue lights. A rainbow of coloured shadows is behind him on the white curtain blinds
7 Teacher showing how to do an experiment outside to a group of kids.

Online courses for teachers & parents

– Help students learn how science really works

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8 A burst of rainbows coming out of a white light source

Get the Unit of Work on Light & Colour here!

  • What is colour addition vs subtraction?
  • What is opacity, translucence & transparency?
  • What is the difference between refraction & reflection?
  • Explore UV light, lenses, thermochromism and more!

Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more

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What is going on?

White light is comprised of all of the colours of the rainbow i.e. the light spectrum – visible light ranges in frequency from VIOLET (400nm) to RED (700nm).

Different materials absorb and reflect the different colours of light. The different colours represent different wavelengths of light. A red object is only ‘red’ when you see the red wavelength of light being reflected off it. So a red car reflects red light, while the other light wavelengths get absorbed. The green light from your torch does not have a red wavelength in it. Because the red car absorbs the green light, no light is reflected and you are left seeing a black car.

Variables to test

More on variables here

  • Try different strength green lights on your red car.
  • What happens if you shine other colours of light on the red car?
  • Does the experiment still work with a red apple or any other red object?

A man with a glove above a liquid nitrogen vapour cloud

Learn more!

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