Name: _______________________
Period: _________
Date: ________
PS3: Light, Filters, and Surfaces
!
!
Background:
We next investigate what happens to light when it interacts with filters and surfaces of different
colors. Light can pass through some materials but not through others. Materials like wood, steel, and
paper block the passage of light and are said to be opaque. Materials that let light pass through so that
objects on the other side can be seen are said to be transparent. Examples of transparent materials are
glass, cellophane, and some plastics. Light that passes through colored or uncolored materials is called
filtered light.
Question:
How does light interact with transparent colored filters and opaque colored surfaces?
Materials:
Light box
Set of colored surfaces (white, blue,
green, red, black)
Opaque cover
Set of colored filters (colorless, blue,
green, red, yellow
Procedure:
1. Investigate the interaction of light with filters of
different colors.
Opaque surface
a. Set up the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 3-1.
b. Predict the color of the light that you will see
through each of the transparent colored
filters listed in TABLE 3-2.
c. Test your predictions. Record your
observations.
Figure 3-1
Colored filter
Table 3-2
Color of FILTER
Color of Light seen through FILTER
Prediction
Observations
Colorless
Blue
Green
Red
2. Investigate the interaction of light with opaque
colored surfaces of different colors.
a. Set up the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 3-3.
You should make note of our light source
if we are not able to get outside.
b. Predict the color of light that will be seen on
each opaque colored surface listed in
TABLE 3-4. Record your predictions.
c. Test your predictions. Record your
observations.
Figure 3-3
Table 3-4
Source of Light:
Color of SURFACE
White
Blue
Green
Red
Black
Color of light seen on SURFACE
Prediction
Observation
3. Investigate the interaction of filtered light with colored
opaque surfaces. Light that passes through a
transparent material such as a colored filter is called
filtered light.
a. Set up the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 3-5.
b. Predict the color of light that will be seen on each
opaque surface after it passes through each of the
colored filters listed in TABLE 3-6. Record your
predictions.
c. Test your predictions. Record your observations.
Figure 3-5
Table 3-6
Color of FILTER
Color of SURFACE
White
Blue
Green
Red
Color of light seen on SURFACE
Prediction
B
Observation
1
Blue
2
Green
3
Red
4
Black
5
White
6
Blue
7
Green
8
Red
9
Black
10
White
11
Blue
12
Green
13
Red
14
Black
15
4. Compare your data with that of other groups. Where your data differ, make sure that you all
followed the procedure correctly. You may also choose to discuss the summary questions.
Summary Questions:
1. Compare the results you recorded in Tables 3-2 and 3-4.
a. How are the results similar? How do they differ?
b. What makes the results similar or different?
2. Look at your data on the interactions of filtered light with colored surfaces in Table 3-6.
a. What are the relationships, if any, between the color of a filter and the color of light
seen on an opaque surface?
b. What is your hypothesis for explaining the results of the interactions of colored filtered
light with colored surfaces? What evidence supports your hypothesis?
Discussion Notes:
(new vocabulary includes: opaque, transparent, filtered light)