Activity Description: Scouts explore visible and invisible light by observing color patterns with pre-made Newton Disk Spinners and comparing them to light-splitting tools like CDs or prisms.
- Fulfills Steps 1 and 2 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher badge requirements.
Info Needed: Visible light is made up of many colors, even though it looks white to our eyes. When light bends, reflects, or spreads out, we can see those colors as a rainbow or pattern. Scientists use these color patterns to study stars and space, learning what stars are made of, how they move, and how much energy they give off.
Light comes in many forms, and not all of it is visible to our eyes. Invisible light like ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) can still affect objects, create changes, and be detected through tools or reactions.
Instructions: (20 – 30 min)
- Read the Info Needed (2 min)
- Premake Newton Disk Spinners before the meeting and only do the 10 minutes needed to use and record their observations. (10 min)
- Perform the CD/Prism Invisible Light activity to contrast the visible light experiment from the Newton Disk Spinners. (15 min)
The Badge Archive 