Welcome back to fun sparks and this week we have another Christmasy themed post!
Today we are going to look at shiny and matte surfaces and how we can tell the difference. A really simple practical, but one that needs the ‘stuff’ and Christmas time is that perfect time of year!
Basically shiny surfaces reflect light well and matte surfaces don’t.
For this you will need:
A flashlight
Shiny items for example:
- tinsel
- foil wrapping paper
- ornaments
- metallic ribbon
- bells
- metallic Christmas cards
- glittery items.
Dull items for example:
- felt Christmas stocking
- flat toned wrapping paper
- miniature Christmas wreath
- candle
- ornaments made of fabric
- ribbon
Method
Mix the objects up on a tray and create two piles…shiny and Dull. Shine your flashlight onto each of the objects and see how well it reflects light (the light bouncing off) to see which is shiny and which is dull. It is really a very simple pre-school sorting activity, but the importance of shiny and matt surface links into thermal radiation and absorption of heat later on in teaching and we will do a practical in the new year to look at this!
So have a go and Have fun!
Last Updated on November 13, 2020 by Emma Vanstone
Hi Kerry, very happy for you to link our parachute to your parachute investigation 🙂 sounds like it will be interesting and fun! Warm wishes, Kelly
great…will let you know when I do it! 🙂
I have to say, I really do love how you explore the world with your little ones! Such lovely experiments for them to get excited about!
Thank you for linking to Kids Get Crafty.
Maggy
Thanks Maggy!