‭Name: Date:‬

‭Student Exploration: Eyes and Vision 1 – Seeing Color‬

‭ ocabulary‬‭:‬‭absorb, cyan, magenta, primary color,‬‭prism, reflect, spectrum, secondary color,‬

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‭transparent‬

‭Prior Knowledge Questions‬‭(Do these BEFORE using the‬‭Gizmo.)‬

‭ ook at the two photographs. In the top photo, red light is shining on the‬
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‭apple. In the bottom photo, green light is shining on the same apple.‬

‭1. What do you notice about the two pictures?‬

‭The top one is a red apple, and the bottom one is a blue apple with a‬
‭green‬ ‭background‬

‭2. Why do you think the same apple looks red in one photo and nearly‬

‭black in the other?‬

‭ he red apple is being reflected, and the bottom apple is absorbing‬

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‭the green background‬

‭ izmo Warm-up‬
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‭The eye is one of nature’s most amazing inventions. In the‬‭Eyes‬
‭and Vision‬‭Gizmo, you will explore how the eye sees.‬‭The first‬
‭lesson,‬‭Seeing Color‬‭, focuses on the light that enters‬‭the eye.‬

‭1. On the LIGHT tab, drag the white‬‭The Ugly Duckling‬‭book from‬
‭the shelf onto the stand. Check that the‬‭Light mode‬‭is‬‭White‬‭.‬

‭A. What color of light is hitting the book?‬

‭white‬

‭B. What color of light is‬‭reflecting‬‭, or bouncing, off the book?‬

‭grey‬

‭C. What color of light is entering the eye?‬

‭white‬
 ‭D. Turn on‬‭Show what the eye sees‬‭. Does the eye see the book?‬

‭yes‬

‭2. Turn off‬‭Show what the eye sees‬‭. Click on the light to turn it off.‬

‭A. Is any light reflecting off the book now?‬

‭no‬

‭B. Turn on‬‭Show what the eye sees‬‭. Does the eye see the book now?‬

‭no‬

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‭Activity A:‬ ‭Get the Gizmo ready‬‭:‬

‭Colors of Light‬ ∙‭‬‭Remove‬‭The Ugly Duckling‬‭book from the‬
‭stand.‬‭∙‬‭Select the‬‭Color‬‭light mode.‬

I‭ntroduction:‬‭Eyes are designed to detect light. If‬‭no light gets in, the eye can’t see. In this‬
‭activity, you will learn that the colors you see come from light.‬

‭Question: What are the colors of light?‬

‭1.‬‭Observe‬‭: The image shows white light going through‬‭a‬

‭solid, triangle-shaped piece of glass called a‬‭prism‬‭.‬

‭What happens to the white light?‬

‭It reflects off each surface.‬

‭ he colors you see (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet) are called a‬‭spectrum‬‭.‬
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‭White light is actually a mixture of all colors. The prism separates white light into these‬
‭colors, just like rain droplets separate sunlight into the colors of a rainbow.‬

‭2.‬‭Observe‬‭: The Gizmo shows three colored lights. These colors are called the‬‭primary colors‬

‭of light. What are the three primary colors of light?‬

‭Red, green and blue‬

‭3.‬‭Explore‬‭: Click the blue light to turn it off. What color do you get from mixing red and green‬

‭light? (Note: Mixing light is not the same as mixing paint.)‬

‭yellow‬

‭4.‬‭Explore‬‭: When primary colors are mixed,‬‭secondary colors‬‭are made.‬

‭A.‬‭Magenta‬‭is a pinkish color that looks like this:‬

‭ hich two colors of light combine to make magenta?‬

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‭Red and blue.‬

‭B.‬‭Cyan‬‭is an aqua color that looks like this:‬

‭Which two colors of light combine to make cyan?‬

‭Blue and green.‬

‭5.‬‭Observe‬‭: Now turn on the red, green, and blue lights.‬

‭What kind of light is produced where all three light colors come together?‬

‭White‬

‭ t the start of this activity, you learned that white light can be separated into different colors.‬
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‭White light can also be made by combining equal amounts of red, green, and blue light.‬
‭These ideas will help you understand why different objects appear to have different colors.‬

‭2020‬

‭Activity B:‬ ‭Get the Gizmo ready‬‭:‬

‭Reflected light‬ ‭∙‬‭With‬‭Color‬‭mode selected, turn off all three lights.‬

I‭ntroduction:‬‭When light hits an object, several things‬‭can happen. If the object is‬‭transparent‬‭,‬
‭like glass, the light will go right through it. If the light doesn’t pass through, it can either be‬
‭reflected from the surface or it can be‬‭absorbed‬‭by the object.‬

‭Question: Which light colors are absorbed by an object, and which colors are reflected?‬
‭1.‬‭Create a hypothesis‬‭: So far, you have learned that white light is a mixture of different colors.‬
‭What do you think is happening when we see a red apple?‬

‭When we see colors, light travels and sends signals to our brains. We can see the red of the‬
‭apple because the surface is reflecting the red wavelengths. It then absorbs the rest‬

‭2.‬‭Observe‬‭: Drag‬‭Red Riding Hood‬‭in the stand, and turn on the red light.‬

‭A. Is the red light reflected or absorbed by the book?‬ ‭reflected‬

‭B. Turn off the red light and turn on the green light. Is the green light reflected or‬

‭absorbed by the book?‬

‭Absorbed‬

‭C. Now try the blue light. Is blue light reflected or absorbed? absorbed‬

‭D. Turn on all three lights. What do you see?‬

‭book being reflected by red light and absorbed bya white light‬

‭E. Change to the‬‭White‬‭light mode. Recall that white light is a mixture of red, green,‬
‭and blue light. What do you think is happening when white light hits the red‬
‭book?‬

‭It absorbs all of the white light.‬

‭3.‬‭Predict‬‭: Think about what might happen if you did the same experiment with a blue book.‬

‭A. Which colors of light will be absorbed by the blue book? Red and green‬

‭B. Which color of light will be reflected by the blue book? blue‬

‭C. Think about a green book. Which light colors will be absorbed?‬ ‭magenta‬

‭D. Which color of light will be reflected by the green book? green‬
‭(Activity B continued on next page)‬

‭2020‬
‭Activity B (continued from previous page)‬

‭4.‬‭Experiment‬‭: Select the‬‭Color‬‭light mode. Experiment with the blue‬‭Blue Beard‬‭book and the‬
‭green‬‭The Frog Prince‬‭book. After you turn each color on and off, fill in which colors were‬
‭absorbed and reflected by each book.‬

‭Blue Beard‬

‭Absorbed: red and green‬

‭Reflected: blue‬

‭The Frog Prince‬

‭Absorbed: red and blue‬

‭Reflected: green‬

‭Do these results agree with your prediction?‬

‭5.‬‭Summarize‬‭: Circle “absorbed” or “reflected” to fill in each blank.‬

‭If the light color is the same as the object’s color, the light will be by the object.‬

‭absorbed‬

‭reflected‬

‭If the light color is different from the object’s color, the light will be by the object.‬

‭absorbed‬

‭reflected‬
‭6.‬‭Explain‬‭: Think about the apple in different colors of light. Why‬
‭does the apple appear red in red light, and nearly black in‬
‭green light?‬
‭Since the apple is red, the green light is absorbed. Since the light is‬
‭not being reflected, it appears black.‬

‭7.‬‭Summarize‬‭: In general, why do objects have color?‬

‭ bjects have color because they reflect or transmit some colors while absorbing others. The‬
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‭wavelengths that are reflected or transmitted create the colors we see.‬

‭2020‬

‭Activity C:‬ ‭Get the Gizmo ready‬‭:‬

‭Mixtures of light‬ ‭∙‬‭With‬‭Color‬‭mode selected, turn on all three lights.‬

‭Introduction:‬‭Some colors are mixtures of light. What‬‭happens when light hits objects that are‬
‭mixtures of colors?‬

‭Question: How do objects that are mixtures of colors absorb and reflect light?‬

‭1.‬‭Think about it‬‭: It’s a hot summer day. Your mom tells you not to wear a black shirt because‬
‭you will get too hot. Why is it better to wear a white shirt than a black shirt when it is hot?‬

‭The black shirt absorbs light and makes you hotter, while a white shirt reflects it.‬

‭2.‬‭Predict‬‭: Remember that yellow light is a combination of red and green light.‬

‭A. Which color do you think will be absorbed by a yellow book? White‬

‭B. Which colors do you think will be reflected by a yellow book? Black‬

‭3.‬‭Experiment‬‭: Drag‬‭Goldilocks‬‭to the stand. Turn each light on and off.‬

‭Which color is absorbed?‬‭Blue‬‭Which colors are reflected?‬ ‭Red and‬

‭Blue‬

‭4.‬‭Observe‬‭: Select‬‭Show what the eye “sees”‬‭and turn‬‭on only the red light.‬

‭Why does the yellow book appear red?‬ ‭because it’s reflecting‬‭red‬

‭Turn off the red light and turn on the green light. Under green light, why does the yellow‬

‭book appear green?‬‭it's reflecting green‬

‭5.‬‭Predict‬‭: Predict the colors of light that will‬‭be absorbed and reflected by the cyan book and‬
‭then the magenta book. (Hint: Cyan is blue-green and magenta is red-blue.)‬

‭Cyan book Absorbed:blue, red Reflected:‬ ‭blue, green‬

‭Magenta book Absorbed: blue, green Reflected:‬ ‭red , blue‬

‭6.‬‭Experiment‬‭: Test your prediction using the cyan‬‭book (‬‭The Little Mermaid‬‭) and the magenta‬

‭book (‬‭The Three Little Pigs‬‭). Were your predictions correct? yes‬

‭(Activity C continued on next page)‬

 ‭2020‬
‭Activity C (continued from previous page)‬

‭7.‬‭Predict‬‭: Which colors do you think will be absorbed and reflected by the white book,‬‭The‬

‭Ugly Duckling‬‭?‬

‭reflected: blue green absorbed: red green‬

‭ ry it out with the Gizmo. What did you find?‬

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‭absorbed: green blue, green, red, blue reflected: red, green blue‬

‭8.‬‭Predict‬‭: Which colors do you think will be absorbed and reflected by the black book,‬

‭Cinderella‬‭?‬ ‭absorb all colors‬

‭ ry it out with the Gizmo. What did you find?‬

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‭the book absorbed all colors and reflected none‬

‭9.‬‭Explain‬‭: A pure black surface will absorb‬‭all‬‭the colors of light and won’t reflect any light. A‬
‭pure white surface will reflect all the colors and won’t absorb any light. How does this‬
‭explain why you shouldn’t wear a black shirt on a hot day?‬

‭It says black surfaces absorb heat while white reflects it.‬

‭10.‬‭Summarize‬‭: Based on what you have learned, explain why different objects appear to be‬
‭different colors.‬‭Objects can be different colors because some absorb colors and others‬
‭reflect it.‬
‭2020‬