Art Connections: Rainbows Outside and Inside

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You can usually find a rainbow outside, up in the sky, when the sun shines during or after a rainstorm. You'll make and observe your own rainbows in this activity- outside and inside!

1. Get Ready

Outside Rainbow

Garden hose with nozzle attached to outdoor faucet
Sunny day

Inside Rainbow

Clear drinking glass
Water
Sheet of white paper
Window that gets direct sunlight

2. Do and Wonder

Outside Rainbow

Go outside early in the morning or late in the afternoon on a day when the sun is shining. (Choose a time when the sun is low in the sky.)

Turn on the faucet to send water to the hose. Adjust the nozzle on the hose so the water comes out in a fine spray.

Stand with your back to the sun, and spray the water in front of you. You should see the colors of the rainbow in the spray. What colors do you see?

Inside Rainbow

Fill the glass almost to the top with water.

Put the glass on the window ledge. Carefully position the glass so a small part of it extends over the ledge and into the room.

Put the paper on the floor where you think the rainbow will form.

Adjust the position of the glass so the sunlight shines through it.

You should see patches of light on the paper that are the same colors you would see in a rainbow. What colors do you see?

3. Think and Write

What do you think causes a rainbow to appear during or after a rainstorm?

Explanation

The colors we see in a rainbow come from sunlight that breaks up as it passes through and bends in water drop The colors we would expect to see (from top to bottom) are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.