Bubbles are one of the most fun things to play with…but what colour are they?
Transparent? Clear?
How about if you could make your bubbles all the colours of the rainbow?
Well you can in this very simple experiment.
How to make rainbow bubbles
An empty clear bottle
Washing up liquid
Water
A sink
An overcast day (works best)I
Fill the bottle about three quarters full with water
Add a squirt (scientific measuring there) of washing up liquid
Quickly tip the bottle and pour the water out fast.
You will find that the bottle is left full of bubbles.
These will look clear and normal to begin with but place the bottle on a windowsill and wait and watch over the next 30 seconds.
You will find that the bubbles will start to show signs of colour that will get stronger and stronger and that each bubble will look like it has been coloured like a rainbow!
Why can you see a rainbow in bubbles?
Visible Light from the sun is known as white light. It contains a range of colours all with different wave lengths that when together form white light.
The colours of the rainbow are:
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and violet
When white light from the sun shines through the film of the bubbles, the light is reflected and dispersed, splitting white light into its different wave lengths revealing all the colours of the rainbow!
Eddie
June 4, 2012 at 12:48 pmIt’s been raining for days here,and overcast would be an understatement, so we’ll have to try this out! Thanks for sharing!
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:32 pmLet us know if you like it!
Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky
June 5, 2012 at 11:39 amSuch a simple idea, but so much learning. Love it!
oana79
June 5, 2012 at 1:05 pmHow simple, my toddler will definitely enjoy the experience and me the lack of mess. Thanks for sharing!
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:32 pmSo glad you liked it!
Michelle
June 6, 2012 at 6:27 pmI voted for you to win the school category of the MADS blog contest. I hope you win, you have a truly awesome blog.
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:33 pmThank you very much. It is appreciated. xx
playfullearners
June 7, 2012 at 12:13 pmThe weathers not too great here this week and I have a great big bottle of bubble mix in the cupboard. I think they may be coming out today :0)
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:33 pmlet us know how you got on.
amber
June 7, 2012 at 2:25 pmeasy and fun thanks for sharing
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:33 pmGlad you liked them x
Melissa Taylor
June 7, 2012 at 2:39 pmFUN! We love bubbles – can’t wait to try this version, thanks.
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:33 pmHave fun! x
Suzanne
June 7, 2012 at 8:43 pmHow very pretty! So easy to do, too!
ScienceSparks
June 8, 2012 at 6:33 pmSuper easy! thats what we like. x
jackie @ happy hooligans
June 9, 2012 at 3:22 amWow! This is so cool! We’ll be doing this for sure! (and I’ve never hear the Richard of York phrase! We say Roy G. Biv, but quite honestly, when I was a kid, I used to get mixed up and say Roy B. Giv so it wasn’t a sure-fire way to remember the order for me lol)
Jamie
June 9, 2012 at 11:49 amVery fun and yet simple (doable) idea! Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to try this with my kids.
ScienceSparks
June 10, 2012 at 9:34 pmlet us know how you get on!
maggy, red ted art
June 9, 2012 at 5:44 pmOooh great explanation. We do love bubbles and the rainbow is always such a special magical part of them.
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy & Alissa
ScienceSparks
June 10, 2012 at 9:34 pmThanks Maggy!
Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum
June 11, 2012 at 8:04 pmWhat a great way to show the visible light experiment and no need for prisms or light boxes 😀
Thank you for linking to Tuesday Tots this week.
Carrie
June 15, 2012 at 2:20 amOh, this looks like so much fun!! We will definitely have to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
ScienceSparks
June 16, 2012 at 8:33 amSo easy as well! Just minutes and really effective.
Jane
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