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Instructional Video

Why Isn't The Sky Purple?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

We've all heard the tale about why the sky is blue. But, why aren't there stories about why the sky isn't purple? Or indigo? Science scholars explore the properties of visible light in a brief video. The narrator explains polychromatic colors, the relationship between temperature and color, and why we aren't able to see x-rays.

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Concepts
electromagnetic spectrum, the sky, colors, visible light, temperature, white light, the earth's atmosphere, the sun
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Additional Tags
science
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Instructional Ideas
  • Follow up the video by demonstrating light through a prism and have the class record their observations
  • Pose the question "Why is the sky blue?" and have pupils explain
Classroom Considerations
  • Do a quick review of the electromagnetic spectrum prior to watching the video
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • A chromaticity diagram makes the content clearer
  • The video is versatile; teachers could also show it as part of an atmosphere lesson
Cons
  • None