Holding a Rainbow in Your Hand Modeling the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Students can quickly and easily construct this paper model that illustrates the electromagnetic spectrum, with visible and invisible components.

Topics: Light, Waves, Electromagnetic Spectrum

Materials List  2.5 cm (1”) Strips of construction paper in the following colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo (dark blue), Violet  2.5 cm (1”) Strips To Do and Notice of clear material 1. Gather 6 clear strips and one strip each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, (i.e. - scrap violet. laminate) 2. Accordion-fold the paper strips so that the distance between creases represents  Permanent marker the differences in wavelength – red has the longest wavelength and violet has the  Stapler shortest. 3. Label clear strips as follows: Radio & TV; Microwave; Infrared; Ultraviolet; X- rays; Gamma rays.

4. Assemble the spectrum model by stapling the strips together at both ends in the following order: Radio & TV; Microwave; Infrared; Red; Orange; Yellow; Green; Blue; Indigo; Violet; Ultraviolet; X-rays; Gamma rays. (Note: this model This Activity can be used is not to scale. Visible light (rainbow colors) is actually a very small band in the to teach:  Waves: Amplitude, whole electromagnetic spectrum. See chart above.)

wavelength, energy Note: This model allows for easy viewing by either frequency or wavelength. (Next Generation Science Standards: Viewing lowest to highest frequency illustrates the common mnemonic for the colors Grade 4, Physical of the rainbow: ROYGBIV. Science 4-1; Middle School, Physical The Science Behind the Activity Science 4-1) Electromagnetic radiation, or “light”, is a form of energy. The electromagnetic  Waves are reflected, spectrum includes wavelengths that humans can see, visible light, and also absorbed, or wavelengths that humans cannot see. Humans can actually see a very small piece of transmitted (Next this energy spectrum that also includes radio waves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet Generation Science light, X-rays, and gamma rays. The visible portion of the spectrum includes many Standards: Middle different colors (ROYGBIV); color in light is also expressed in terms of frequency or School, Physical wavelength. Red light is lower frequency, longer wavelength than blue light. The Sun Science 4-2) produces a wide range of electromagnetic radiation; and when the visible, white light

mix is “sorted” by water droplets in the atmosphere, a rainbow appears in the sky.

Taking it Further For more electromagnetic spectrum activities, see the RAFT Idea Sheets The Colors of Light, to create a spectroscope & Sunlight Beads to test properties of light sources.

Web Resources (Visit www.raft.net/raft-idea?isid=105 for more resources!)