Whether you are studying light in your current science curriculum or just want to have some hands-on fun, these 3 light science experiments are sure to be a hit. Better yet, they don’t require any special tools or equipment. Children (with the help of an adult) can conduct these experiments using materials you’re likely to have on hand!
Place a postage stamp face up on a table. Set a clear glass of water on the stamp. Then cover the glass with a saucer. The stamp disappears! Walk around the glass, peering into it from any angle you please. The stamp is completely invisible.
The explanation lies in the phenomenon of refraction–the bending of light rays when they pass at an angle from one medium to another. In this experiment, light rays are refracted upward when they pass from ager to air and then strike the underside of the saucer. Since the saucer screens off all refracted rays, there is no angle from which the postage stamp can be seen.
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