This week we’re diving into wavelengths as we focus on optics and spectra. Let’s start off with something that you may have wondered about, the color of the sky. You might think it has something to do with our atmosphere, and you’d be right- it’s a result of of the interaction between our atmosphere and the light from the Sun. But how does it work?

Learn how different colors interact with heat in this simple solar-powered activity!

This activity is geared toward elementary-level learners, but can easily scale up or down depending on existing science knowledge. Younger children may appreciate performing the experiment with less emphasis on the background and concluding information, while older students may choose to supplement this lesson with in-depth research on wavelengths and energy.