TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What Is Color?
Colm Kelleher describes the physics behind colors- why the colors we see are related to the period of motion and the frequency of waves. [3:09]
NASA
Nasa: The Space Place: Why Is the Sky Blue?
Learn about colors of light by exploring how prisms work. Discover the different colors of the spectrum and how the visible light is what we see.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Wavelength of Visible Light Spectrum
Explains where visible light fits into the electromagnetic spectrum and the wavelengths for the different colors we see.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Characterizing Color
This site from Georgia State University discusses the meaning of the terms hue, saturation and brightness. Thorough, meaningful explanations and outstanding graphics.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Light Absorption, Reflection and Transmission
This tutorial explains light absorption, reflection and transmission in a clear and concise manner. Provides a "Check Your Understanding" section as well as additional links on color and light.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Energy of Light
For this introduction to light energy, students learn about reflection and refraction as they learn that light travels in wave form. Through hands-on activities, they see how prisms, magnifying glasses and polarized lenses work. They...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fundamentals of Light
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate the fundamentals of light including its source, how it is defined for measurements, how we perceive color, and the situations that make an...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Learning Light's Properties
Students learn the basic properties of light--the concepts of light absorption, transmission, reflection and refraction, as well as the behavior of light during interference. Lecture information briefly addresses the electromagnetic...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Color Spectrum Chart With Frequencies and Wavelengths
Read about the visible light spectrum and learn the frequencies and wavelengths for each of the primary and secondary colors.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Color of Salts Flame Test
This laboratory exercise is designed to introduce students to salts and their unique color given off while burned. Students will obtain several salt solutions to observe the color of flame when burned.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Physics 2000: Quantum Atom
Several pages with an interesting discussion of the visible light spectrum and atomic absorption and emission line spectrum. Features excellent graphics, thorough and understandable discussion, and many interactive Java applets.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Online Exhibit: Mix and Match
A Shockwave movie which allows users to mix varying colors of light and observe the effect upon the appearance of a circle. Accompanied by a "To Do and Notice" section and a "What's Going On?" section. Excellent!
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: How Primary Colors Combine to Make New Colors
In this science fair project, paint color pie slices onto a wheel and spin the wheel on an electric drill. See how colors add together to make new colors. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Light Waves, Visible and Invisible
Lucianne Walkowicz shows us the waves just beyond our perception: microwaves, radio waves, x-rays and more. [5:58]
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bubbles and Biosensors
Students learn that color swirls on the bubble surfaces are caused by refraction. Then they apply this theory to thin films in general, including porous films used in biosensors, listing factors that could change the color that become...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Electromagnetic Spectrum
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn what an electromagnetic wave is, gain a feel for the main parts of the spectrum, and work on problems involving basic properties of electromagnetic...
My Science Site
Electromagnetic Spectrum: Colour and Waves
This resource provides information on the different wavelengths that make up the electromagnetic spectrum. Also contains information on waves and color.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Color: Light in a Prism
[Free Registration/Login Required] Explore how light is refracted when visible light enters, passes through, and exits the prism by moving the red dot to adjust the angle of white light shining on the prism.
Physics Central
Physics Central: Physics in the Snow: Snowy Colors
A simple experiment through which students observe the connection between color and heat and prove that dark-colored objects and light-colored objects heat at different rates, even when exposed to the same heat or light source.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
Students find and calculate the angle that light is transmitted through a holographic diffraction grating using trigonometry. After finding this angle, student teams design and build their own spectrographs, researching and designing a...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: All That Glitters
This Ocean Explorer lesson plan (PDF) explores the questions: What colors, if any, are visible down in the deep sea? What is bioluminescence? Students will learn about white light (visible light), the quantity and quality of light as...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Graphing the Rainbow
Students are introduced to different ways of displaying visual spectra, including colored "barcode" spectra, like those produced by a diffraction grating, and line plots displaying intensity versus color, or wavelength. Students learn...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Glowing Flowers
Student teams learn about engineering design of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and their use in medical research, including stem cell research. They simulate the use of GFPs by adding fluorescent dye to water and letting a flower or...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Blackbody Spectrum
How does the blackbody spectrum of the sun compare to visible light? Learn about the blackbody spectrum of the sun, a light bulb, an oven, and the earth. Adjust the temperature to see the wavelength and intensity of the spectrum change....