Finding out about colour

Finding out about colour

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about investigating colour.
How to do this task:

  • Use the shoebox that has been made up for this task.
  • Get four different colours of cellophane and seven different coloured buttons.
  • Place a piece of cellophane over the hole in the top of the box.
  • Place the buttons inside the box under the lid where the cellophane is.
  • Shine the torch through the cellophane into the box, like in the diagram.
  • Look through the slit at the front of the box to see what colour each of the buttons looks like with the different cellophane colours.
  • Complete the table with your results.
 diagram of experiment to investigate colour

Question 1Change answer

a)  Complete this table to show what colour the button looked like.  
Button Colour Cellophane Colour
Red Green Blue White
Red
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
White
Black

Question 1Change answer

b)  Write down four different things you have found out about what the cellophane colour does to the button colour.
1. 2.  
3. 4.  
Task administration: 

This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.

Equipment:

Shoebox; torch; cellophane (or filters) of different colours; buttons of different colours.

  • This activity assesses student's ability to make observations and notice patterns.
  • This task is suitable for group assessment.
  • For trialling we had previously made up pieces of cellophane glued in cardboard frames.

Cardboard
Cellophane (opening is 11 cm ´ 11 cm, i.e., slightly larger than opening on shoebox lid)

  • The cellophane colours used in trialling were: red, green, blue, and white.
  • The button colours used in trialling were red, yellow, green, blue, violet, white, and black.
  • This activity is best carried out in a darkened room.

Shoebox design

Copyright: 
Graphic, copyright: NZCER
Level:
2
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Physical World
Keywords: 
physical inquiry, light, colour, pattern seeking, group investigations
Description of task: 
For this practical task students make observations about the effect of coloured lights on different coloured objects. Students then draw some conclusions about their findings.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the methodology in investigations and looking for patterns in the data collected.
 
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data
Answers/responses: 
a)
Answers in italics might vary especially if the buttons used are light in colour.
b)

Any 4 of:

  • The black button always appeared black.
  • The white button was always the colour of the cellophane.
  • A button the same colour as the cellophane stays the same colour (or specific example of it)
  • Specific examples of different button colour and different colour of light, e.g., when red light shines on blue buttons they look violet.