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Simple Refraction of Light Science Experiment – Why Does the Straw Look Bent?
What do you think, can water bend a straw? What about other clear liquids? In this super simple science experiments, kids will learn about the refraction of light, and why a straw appears to be bent when submerged in a glass of liquid.
Find printable instructions, a video demonstration, and a helpful explanation of how this experiment works, below.
JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works | Purchase Lab Kit
Supplies Needed
- Empty Glass
- Plastic Straw
Refraction of Light Science Lab Kit – Only $5
Use our easy Refraction of Light Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!
It’s everything you need to make science easy for teachers and fun for students — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!
Refraction of Light Science Experiment Instructions
Step 1 – Start with some observations about the straw. Is there anything unusual about the straw? Make sure the kids notice that is it perfectly straight. Next, place the straw in the empty glass. Make a few more observations and point out that the straw is still straight.
Helpful tip: Use a large plastic straw from a water bottle to see the results more clearly.
Step 2 – Next, pour water into the glass until it is nearly full. Now make a few more observations. What is different about the straw? Make sure to look directly at the side of the glass at the straw. What do you see?
Step 3 – You will notice that near the top of the water line the straw appears to bend. Remove the straw from the water. Is it still bent? Do you know what caused the straw to appear to be bent? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.
Video Tutorial
How Does the Science Experiment Work
When you add the water to the glass, the straw appears to bend, but once you remove the straw you see it isn’t really bent at all. This is because the straw is not bending, but the light around the straw is bending due to refraction . Light refracts as it passes from one medium to the next because it travels at different speeds through those mediums. Light travels fastest through air, a little slower through water, and even slower through glass.
WHAT IS REFRACTION OF LIGHT? Refraction is the bending of light and occurs when light travels from one medium to another. For example when the light moves from air to water, or from water to air.
We need light in order to see. When we look at the straw outside of the glass of water, the light coming from the straw travels through the air straight to your eye. As you look at the straw in the glass of water, the light coming from the straw to your eye bends as it passes through three different mediums (water, glass, and air). As the light passes from one medium to the next, it changes speed and bends.
Other Ideas to Try
Try this experiment with liquids other than water. Liquids to try would be light corn syrup, rubbing alcohol, or clear Gatorade. Does the liquid you use affect how much the straw appears to bend?
More Experiments that Show The Refraction Of Light
Light Refraction Science Experiment – Watch in amazement as the arrow to changes direction.
Ruler Changes Size Science Experiment – Observe how the size of an object changed when viewed through different liquids.
I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:
Can Water Bend a Straw Experiment
Instructions.
- Observe the straw and notice that it is perfectly straight. Next, place the straw in the empty glass and take note that the straw is still straight. Helpful tip: Use a large plastic straw from a water bottle to see the results more clearly.
- Pour water into the glass until it is nearly full. Look directly at the side of the glass at the straw. What do you see?
- You will notice that near the top of the water line the straw appears to bent. Remove the straw from the water. Is it still bent?
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September 14, 2017 at 2:36 am
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Science Fun
Bending Straw Illusion Magic Science Experiment
In this fun and easy magic science experiment, we’re going to use an optical illusion to make it appear a straw is bending.
Instructions:
- Fill the glass about halfway with water.
- Now put the straw into the glass of water.
- Observe the straw from the top, sides, and bottom of the glass.
- When you observe the straw from the sides of the glass, it appears to be broken or bent.
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How it Works:
Refraction causes the straw to look bent and sometimes it can even appears to be broken. Light usually travels in a straight line to our eyes, but when the light goes through the water, it slightly changes direction. So as we look at the straw in the glass, the light from the top part of the straw travels straight to our eyes whereas the part of the straw that’s underwater has light that is refracted since it travels through the water before it reaches our eyes.
Make This A Science Project:
Try different sized glasses. Try writing messages and hold them behind the glass. Try putting different sized and shaped items in the glass.
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Why does this straw look like it’s broken?
By Claire Maldarelli
Posted on Feb 21, 2017 7:00 PM EST
Place a straw in a glass of water, and behold: It looks broken. What’s tricking your brain?
Similar to this illusion, the light that reflects off the straw allows your visual system to process and identify its shape as it travels through mediums of varying densities. But as light passes from air into water, which is denser, it changes direction, or refracts.
Your brain can’t correct for these visual effects, so it decides on the location of the object (the straw) based solely on where the reflecting light is coming from. Above the water, the light reflects from the straw through the air and glass to your eyes. But below, when the light also travels through water, the refraction causes the image of the straw to be in a slightly different location. The water also acts as a type of magnifying lens, making the size of the straw seem larger than it actually is. To the brain, the straw appears broken (and bloated).
That’s why spearfishing is so hard to master. From far away, the fish you are eyeing always looks nearer to the surface of the water than it actually is. The key is to get as close to the fish as possible, without it seeing you. Otherwise, you go home empty-handed.
This article was originally published in the March/April 2017 issue of Popular Science .
Light Refraction Experiments
Refraction of light.
Have you ever noticed if you look through a glass of water , the image behind the glass sometimes looks funny or distorted?
It’s like the glass of water is playing tricks on your eyes.
The trick is actually created by the refraction of light.
Light travels at different speed through different materials.
As a result, the light “turns” when it passes from one medium to another.
There are so many good refraction of light experiments we want to do.
Let’s start with these 2 simples ones.
Light Refraction Experiment
Here are a couple of our favorite optical illusion tricks using the light refraction property.
- a drinking straw or a pen
- clear water or glass of water
- a long clear glass or glass with water
- adult supervision
Instructions
Experiment 1.
- The levels of water in the glass is more than a half of glass.
- Put a straw into the glass with water vertically and watch from the side.
Experiment 2
- Raise the glass or lower your eyes to look at the straw from under the water surface. The straw appears to be bent instead of broken.
Did you try this project?
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Why: Experiment 1
Light bends when it passes from one medium (air) into another medium of a different density (water). This bending of light, called refraction , causes the straw to look broken 1 . The portion of the straw that is submerged in water also appears to be wider than the portion of the straw above the water.
Since the glass is relatively thin, we can assume not much refraction takes place there. So the optical illusions  ;are mainly caused by the water inside.
However, even though the light bends at the water/air interface, our brain does not know that or account for that. Our brains believe that light always travels in a straight line and extend the light rays backward to a location different from the original straw. That is why the submerged part of the straw appears to be shifted in water.
When I was doing this experiment with my 4 year old daughter, she kept saying that the straw must be broken. But I kept pulling it out of the water to show her that it wasn’t broken at all. She was fascinated.
Why: Experiment 2
Light bends when it passes from water into the air . When the light comes from a location close enough to the surface (or the angle of incidence is larger than water’s critical angle ) the light bends so much that instead of passing out into the air, all of it reflects back into the water as if the water surface were a mirror. This is called total internal reflection .
Diagram below: When there is total internal reflection, your brain thinks that the underwater fish is at above the water (and upside down).
This is what happened when you looked at the straw from below the water surface. The reflected straw seems to be connecting between the above-water portion and the under-water distortion. That is why the straw looked crooked.
What did you see when you moved your head to different positions? Can you think of some fun experiments to do using this refraction property of light?
- 1. Jiang W, Chen RT, Lu X. Theory of light refraction at the surface of a photonic crystal. Phys Rev B . June 2005. doi: 10.1103/physrevb.71.245115
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Light Science Experiment – Refraction: Bending Straws
Can you bend a straw without touching it? A simple but interesting light science experiment to help you to see how light travels through water.
What you will need:
- A clear plastic cup half filled with water
- A straight straw or similar
What you will do:
- Carefully fill the cup with water and place it on a flat surface.
- Have a good look at your straw. Is it nice and straight?
- Now, place the straw into the glass.
- Move around and look at the straw from different angles. Look from different sides, up high and down low.
- Can you see the way the straw looks like it is bent in the middle? Where can you see it best?
- Take the straw out and check it. Is it still straight?
What is going on?
We know that the straw doesn’t really bend, so why does it look bent?
We see things because light travels from them to our eyes. The light that is coming from the straw to our eyes can move quite quickly, but the light moving through the cup and the water moves much more slowly.
So our eyes see the light from the top half of the straw quicker than the light from the bottom half, and our brain thinks that it is seeing a bent straw.
Monster Challenges:
- Can you find other things around the classroom that you could use instead of the straw? Ask your teacher first!
- What if there is more or less water in the glass? Does it change what you see?
Teaching Notes:
Key concepts:.
Water slows the speed at which light travels
- Investigation Record IR01– one copy per student
- Experiment Description Light L02– one copy per student
- Clear cup half filled with water, straw
Lesson Notes:
Begin the lesson by discussing how light travels in straight lines, and that it travels through clear or transparent objects. You might like to use these vocabulary words:
- Transparent: clear or see through eg window
- Translucent: light comes through, but images aren’t clear eg tissue paper
- Opaque: light does not come through, eg wood.
It is not essential that students learn these words at this stage, but using them increases their familiarity with the terms.
Remind students to listen carefully to instructions, and to OBSERVE their experiment.
As this activity is brief, I suggest that you encourage students to look for other waterproof objects that they could observe through the water. This kind of student lead investigation is very important for developing their thinking skills and their understanding of scientific processes.
As a class discuss the experiment prior to undertaking it, and students should complete the sections of their Investigation Report IR01 from ”Title to “Hypothesis”.
What should happen in this experiment, and why?
The straw should appear bent at the point that it passes through the surface of the water, as should anything else that is put into the glass that protrudes above the water.
Objects that can be fully submerged will appear larger in the water than out of it, but only marginally.
Remember that the best way for students to learn is to try things for themselves, so pose the challenges and let them experiment. They may surprise you with their answers and observations!
Follow up discussion questions:
How does the speed of light travelling through water affect what we see when we look into a pond or pool. Have you ever seen a person in a pool look bendy like the straw?
- What would happen if your eyes were above the water and you tried to catch a ball thrown under water?
- When light hits the surface of water, some light passes through and some is reflected back. That is why you can still get sunburnt when you are swimming.
Get this experiment here or as part of a bundle of Light Experiments here .
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In Unit 13 of The Physics Classroom Tutorial , it was emphasized that we are able to see because light from an object can travel to our eyes. Every object that can be seen is seen only because light from that object travels to our eyes. As you look at Mary in class, you are able to see Mary because she is illuminated with light and that light reflects off of her and travels to your eye. In the process of viewing Mary, you are directing your sight along a line in the direction of Mary. If you wish to view the top of Mary's head, then you direct your sight along a line towards the top of her head. If you wish to view Mary's feet, then you direct your sight along a line towards Mary's feet. And if you wish to view the image of Mary in a mirror, then you must direct your sight along a line towards the location of Mary's image. This directing of our sight in a specific direction is sometimes referred to as the line of sight . The Broken PencilAs light travels through a given medium, it travels in a straight line. However, when light passes from one medium into a second medium, the light path bends. Refraction takes place. The refraction occurs only at the boundary. Once the light has crossed the boundary between the two media, it continues to travel in a straight line. Only now, the direction of that line is different than it was in the former medium. If when sighting at an object, light from that object changes media on the way to your eye, a visual distortion is likely to occur. This visual distortion is witnessed if you look at a pencil submerged in a glass half-filled with water. As you sight through the side of the glass at the portion of the pencil located above the water's surface, light travels directly from the pencil to your eye. Since this light does not change medium, it will not refract. (Actually, there is a change of medium from air to glass and back into air. Because the glass is so thin and because the light starts and finished in air, the refraction into and out of the glass causes little deviation in the light's original direction.) As you sight at the portion of the pencil that was submerged in the water, light travels from water to air (or from water to glass to air). This light ray changes medium and subsequently undergoes refraction. As a result, the image of the pencil appears to be broken. Furthermore, the portion of the pencil that is submerged in water appears to be wider than the portion of the pencil that is not submerged. These visual distortions are explained by the refraction of light. Flickr Physics PhotoThe broken pencil phenomenon occurs during your everyday spearfishing outing. Fortunately for the fish, light refracts as it travels from the fish in the water to the eyes of the hunter. The refraction occurs at the water-air boundary. Due to this bending of the path of light, a fish appears to be at a location where it isn't. A visual distortion occurs. Subsequently, the hunter launches the spear at the location where the fish is thought to be and misses the fish. Of course, the fish are never concerned about such hunters; they know that light refracts at the boundary and that the location where the hunter is sighting is not the same location as the actual fish. How did the fish get so smart and learn all this? They live in schools. Now any fish that has done his/her physics homework knows that the amount of refraction that occurs is dependent upon the angle at which the light approaches the boundary. We will investigate this aspect of refraction in great detail in Lesson 2 . For now, it is sufficient to say that as the hunter with the spear sights more perpendicular to the water, the amount of refraction decreases. The most successful hunters are those who sight perpendicular to the water. And the smartest fish are those who head for the deep when they spot hunters who sight in this direction. Since refraction of light occurs when it crosses the boundary, visual distortions often occur. These distortions occur when light changes medium as it travels from the object to our eyes.
Refraction of Light ExperimentEver looked at a straw in a cup of water and wonder why it looks bigger and appears to be bent? Or look at something underwater and wondered why it looks so big? These are all a result of the bending of light or refraction. In today’s science experiment on the refraction of light, we’re going to take a closer look at how light bends.  What is refraction?Refraction is the bending of light. This occurs when light travels through one material to another (ex: air, water, etc…) Unlike objects that reflect, objects that refract light look different. For example, when looking at a glass of water with a straw in it, the straw may appear to be broken. This happens because light moves more slowly in water than in air. As a result, the light bends as it passes from air to water, making the straw appear to be bent. Materials for light refraction experiment:
Experiment Instructions:STEP 1: Fill the glass jar almost to the top with water. STEP 2: If creating your own “secret message” fold the paper in half. Then write your message on one side of the paper. Make sure to write the message backward from right to left. You can create a second message on the back of the folded paper. To make things even easier, you can always download the Free Valentine printable from down below. It’s already done for you!  STEP 3: Next, place the glass jar on a flat surface. Place the folded paper about 3-4 inches behind the jar filled with water.  STEP 4: Looking through the front side of the glass of water, look at your secret message. What do you see?… Your message is not much of a secret anymore!  How does this refraction experiment work?During the experiment, light travels from the secret message, through the air, through the glass, through the water, then through the glass again, and through the air one more time before finally reaching your eyes. When light travels through different materials such as the glass jar, air, or water, it travels at different speeds. This causes the light to refract. Light waves travel faster through the air than they do through water or glass because the air is less dense. It then slows down a little when traveling through the water and is at its slowest, when passing through the glass jar. This is what causes the light to refract or bend and make the secret message change direction. As a result, the message is no longer a “secret” and can be read.  The light that is refracted through the glass of water also acts as a magnifying glass. It makes the image appear larger than it really is. Try moving the image closer to the glass jar and see what happens. Helpful ResourcesIf you like kid-friendly science resources and want to learn more about light energy & the other forms of energy, check out my complete energy unit perfect created with kids in mind.  … and if you’d like to use the “secret” messages I used above for the refraction lab, you can download it for free here. (If you liked these tips, feel free to use this image to save this post to your Pinterest board. )  A third-grade teacher with a passion for creating time-saving classroom resources. She enjoys sharing her attempt to juggle it all... grading papers, lesson planning, student referrals, parent communication, test prep, and so much more all while managing a busy home life with two active teens. You Might Also Like How to Completely Change the Way Your Kids Think About Pollution Videos You Should Be Using Throughout Your Plant Unit DIY Science Lab CoatsNo comments, leave a reply cancel reply. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed . Follow @moretime2teach
 Physics > See the Light > Refraction The speed of light isn't always the same. It actually slows down when it moves through some transparent materials, like glass or water. When light slows down, it changes direction. This "refraction" of light is the reason a straw in water looks bent or broken and why objects viewed through a glass bottle appear distorted.  In the same way light reflects differently off different surfaces, it also refracts differently depending on the shape of the material. This can make refraction very useful. For example, the curve of eyeglasses directs light rays into the eyes more effectively. Magnifying lenses also use refraction: the convex lens bends the light rays so the image appears larger. Try this experiment to see how different objects refract light. What You'll Need 
 Place the flashlight on the table and lean the comb against it.  Turn the flashlight on and turn off the lights in the room. Notice the light beams that are shinning through the comb's teeth. (NOTE: If you cannot see distinct, individual light beams, try wrapping a piece of construction paper around the end of the flashlight to extend its lens a little. This will help direct and focus the light beam.)  Fill the small glass bottle or glass halfway with water and place it in front of the beams of light shining through the comb's teeth.
 Now fill your glass bottle or glass with cooking oil instead of water and try the experiment again. Are the results the same? Do the light beams refract differently through the cooking oil than in water? Is the focal point the same? You might also like...Light, matter, and energy. Where did Einstein get his great ideas? Find out with this virtual tour. Light QuestHow enlightened are you about the subject of light? Play this trivia game to find out! Play with Color and LightWhat happens when you mix colors of light? The results might surprise you! Image Credits:Magnifying glass by Jade87 from Pixabay; all other images, courtesy of AMNH Sciencing_Icons_Science SCIENCESciencing_icons_biology biology, sciencing_icons_cells cells, sciencing_icons_molecular molecular, sciencing_icons_microorganisms microorganisms, sciencing_icons_genetics genetics, sciencing_icons_human body human body, sciencing_icons_ecology ecology, sciencing_icons_chemistry chemistry, sciencing_icons_atomic & molecular structure atomic & molecular structure, sciencing_icons_bonds bonds, sciencing_icons_reactions reactions, sciencing_icons_stoichiometry stoichiometry, sciencing_icons_solutions solutions, sciencing_icons_acids & bases acids & bases, sciencing_icons_thermodynamics thermodynamics, sciencing_icons_organic chemistry organic chemistry, sciencing_icons_physics physics, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-physics fundamentals, sciencing_icons_electronics electronics, sciencing_icons_waves waves, sciencing_icons_energy energy, sciencing_icons_fluid fluid, sciencing_icons_astronomy astronomy, sciencing_icons_geology geology, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-geology fundamentals, sciencing_icons_minerals & rocks minerals & rocks, sciencing_icons_earth scructure earth structure, sciencing_icons_fossils fossils, sciencing_icons_natural disasters natural disasters, sciencing_icons_nature nature, sciencing_icons_ecosystems ecosystems, sciencing_icons_environment environment, sciencing_icons_insects insects, sciencing_icons_plants & mushrooms plants & mushrooms, sciencing_icons_animals animals, sciencing_icons_math math, sciencing_icons_arithmetic arithmetic, sciencing_icons_addition & subtraction addition & subtraction, sciencing_icons_multiplication & division multiplication & division, sciencing_icons_decimals decimals, sciencing_icons_fractions fractions, sciencing_icons_conversions conversions, sciencing_icons_algebra algebra, sciencing_icons_working with units working with units, sciencing_icons_equations & expressions equations & expressions, sciencing_icons_ratios & proportions ratios & proportions, sciencing_icons_inequalities inequalities, sciencing_icons_exponents & logarithms exponents & logarithms, sciencing_icons_factorization factorization, sciencing_icons_functions functions, sciencing_icons_linear equations linear equations, sciencing_icons_graphs graphs, sciencing_icons_quadratics quadratics, sciencing_icons_polynomials polynomials, sciencing_icons_geometry geometry, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-geometry fundamentals, sciencing_icons_cartesian cartesian, sciencing_icons_circles circles, sciencing_icons_solids solids, sciencing_icons_trigonometry trigonometry, sciencing_icons_probability-statistics probability & statistics, sciencing_icons_mean-median-mode mean/median/mode, sciencing_icons_independent-dependent variables independent/dependent variables, sciencing_icons_deviation deviation, sciencing_icons_correlation correlation, sciencing_icons_sampling sampling, sciencing_icons_distributions distributions, sciencing_icons_probability probability, sciencing_icons_calculus calculus, sciencing_icons_differentiation-integration differentiation/integration, sciencing_icons_application application, sciencing_icons_projects projects, sciencing_icons_news news.
Science Projects With Straws Egg in Bottle Science ProjectsRegular plastic drinking straws can provide endless tutorials in the principles of physics. While most projects with straws somehow involve water or balloons, the lessons illustrate the power and properties of air. While supervision over the straw-in-the-potato project is recommended, most science experiments with straws can be carried out worry-free by grade school kids. The Force of AirDemonstrate the force of air by stabbing a plastic drinking straw through a raw potato. Make an airtight seal with your thumb on one end of the straw. Be careful to hold one end of the potato and impale it at the other end to so the straw won’t hit your hand. With the airtight seal under your thumb, the air molecules inside the straw condense and give the stabbing straw enough sturdiness to go through the raw potato, removing a cylindrical skewer of potato in the process. This can be a risky experiment for those with poor aim, according to Steve Spangler Science, as a plunging, sealed straw could potentially break the skin. Straws and BalloonsThere are numerous science projects involving balloons and straws, most of which are lessons in air’s propulsion ability. One such project requires a balloon, a flexible drinking straw, cut off an inch below (not above) the bendy portion, and a rubber band. Insert the one-inch portion of straw below the bend into the balloon, and securely fasten them together with a rubber band, without crushing the straw. The bendable portion should be outside of the balloon. Inflate it through the straw. Place a finger over the end of the straw to prevent air from escaping, and then set on the floor, keeping the bendable portion of the straw straight. Let it go and watch the direction of the balloon’s movement. Bernie Zubrowski, author of “Balloons—Building and Experimenting with Inflatable Toys” writes that if you bend the straw in a different direction each time, the balloon will also go in different directions. Try it with larger balloons, or balloons with different shapes to see how the experiment changes. Air Pressure and WaterTake a clean, lidded jar and make a hole in the lid just large enough to put a straw through. Fill the jar with water, and screw the lid onto the jar. Put a straw through the hole you made in the lid, and make sure the hole is airtight by putting plasticine or modeling clay over the hole surrounding the straw. As long as there’s no air escaping, you shouldn’t be able to suck any water through the straw, according to the child science experiments written on by parentingtoddlers.com. Place another drinking straw in a regular, open glass of water and see another version of the same idea: make an airtight seal over the open end of the straw with your thumb and lift the straw out of the glass of water. Notice that the straw holds water to the same height on the straw as the height of the water in the glass. It’s the air pressure in the top of the straw that holds the water in from the bottom of the straw. Once the thumb seal is broken, the water spills out. Related ArticlesAir pressure experiments for middle school, science fair project: how to get an egg into a bottle, easy home experiments using gas laws, difference between water pressure & air pressure, rocket school projects, how to make a hard boiled egg go into a coke bottle, ideas for newton scooters, science projects with balloons & sound vibration, how to keep an egg soaking in vinegar for a science..., science project and fair ideas, how to explain bernoulli's theorem experiment to kids, jet propulsion science projects, water bottle science experiments, how to make a hurricane for a science project, how to make water vapor come out of your mouth, how to build your own submarine, atmosphere experiments for kids, why does soda explode in freezers, free directions for making a barometer.
About the Author Based just outside Chicago, Meg Campbell has worked in the fitness industry since 1997. She’s been writing health-related articles since 2010, focusing primarily on diet and nutrition. Campbell divides her time between her hometown and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo Credits straw image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com Find Your Next Great Science Fair Project! GOYou are leaving IngeniumCanada.orgThis link leads to an external website that Ingenium does not control. Please read the third-party’s privacy policies before entering personal information or conducting a transaction on their site. Have questions? Review our Privacy Statement Vous quittez IngeniumCanada.orgCe lien mène à un site Web externe qu'Ingenium ne contrôle pas. Veuillez lire les politiques de confidentialité des tiers avant de partager des renseignements personnels ou d'effectuer une transaction sur leur site. Questions? Consultez notre Énoncé de confidentialité Main NavigationBroken pencil illusion, hours and location.  Seeing isn’t always believing, especially when refraction is involved! See how water bends light, “breaking” a pencil right before your eyes. What you need
Bend down until you are looking in line with the top of the water. It should look as though the pencil is broken in two! Light travels through different materials, or mediums, at different speeds. In this experiment, light first travels through the air – which is easy to move through – and then through the water, where it slows down. This change in speed causes the light to bend, or refract, meaning that the part of the pencil that is in the water will appear shifted. Many birds hunt by flying over the surface of water, then diving in once they see a fish. Like in this experiment, the image a bird sees of a fish isn’t where it really is; the image can actually be quite far from the real fish. The bird has to adjust where it dives in order to catch the fish. This effect is also caused by the refraction of light once it hits the water. Draw an arrow on a piece of paper and hold it up behind the glass of water, about 30 cm from your eyes. What do you observe?  As if by magic, the arrow flips around! The round outside of the glass forces the water into a rounded shape, which acts as a convex lens . This lens bends the incoming light towards the middle. Here, the light rays meet at what is called the focal point. Past the focal point , the image is inverted because the light rays overlap.  Program Details
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 Refraction: Bent Spoon Experiment with Stephanie Guzman Learn about the refraction of light in this experiment with Stephanie Guzman, Optical Engineer at Edmund Optics! Refraction is the bending of light as it travels from one medium to another, and it causes some strange things to happen when a spoon or straw is lowered into a round glass of water. To learn more about light, please visit www.edmundscientific.com and follow our educational TikTok channel @edmundoptics.  Related Videos LT Series Fixed Focal Length Lenses from Edmund Optics®  1.1" HP Series Fixed Focal Length Lenses from Edmund Optics®  Why Should I Use a Telecentric Lens?  Why Should I Use a Lens Designed Specifically for SWIR Wavelengths?  What are Ghost Images  How Do Mirages Work?  How Do 3D Movies Work? Polarization  How Do Cameras Work?  How Rainbows Work  Infrared Light  Wavelength: Why Is the Sky Blue?  Understanding Reflection of Light  Understanding Lasers and How They're Used Every Day  Understanding Refraction  Understanding Absorption of Light  Total Internal Reflection  Aligning AdlOptica Focal πShaper  Aligning AdlOptica πShaper  Aligning Mount for AdlOptica Beamshapers  Assembling a Liquid Lens Cx Series Lens  How To Align a Monolithic Beam Expander  Imaging Performance of Telecentric Lenses  How to Build an Optical Isolator with Stock Components  Understanding Liquid Lens Technology  Improved Specification Search  Hydrophobic Coatings  First Contact Polymer Solution  Quick Tips for Cleaning Optics  Light Pipe Overview  Polarization Overview - Part 2: Waveplates & Retarders (Advanced)  Polarization Overview - Part 1: Polarization Basics  Proper Optics Handling Techniques  Important Concepts for Selecting Optical Component Mounts  How to Form an Image with an Optical Lens Setup  How to Determine Magnification of an Optical Lens Setup  Optical Filter Coatings: Comparison of Traditional and Hard-Sputtered  Understanding Collimation to Determine Optical Lens Focal Length  How to Achieve Optimal Collimation with Fiber Optics  Translation Stage Specifications to Know  Understanding Camera Mounting Interfaces  Selecting the Right Beam Expander  Selecting the Right Beamsplitter  Multi-Axis Translation Stage Configurations: Part II: X-Y-Z Setup  Multi-Axis Translation Stage Configurations: Part I: X-Y Setup  Telecentric Illumination  Removing Protective Plastic Coating  How to Align a Laser System Copyright 2023 , Edmund Optics Inc., 101 East Gloucester Pike, Barrington, NJ 08007-1380 USA   Straw RocketsExperimenting with gravity. How does the bounce height of a ball change with the height from which it’s dropped? This resource was originally published in PhysicsQuest 2018: Force.
Bouncy balls are awesome. If you drop them, they come most of the way back. If you throw them down really hard, they can bounce all the way up to the ceiling. They can do this because of the fact that energy is conserved. That means the amount of energy in a system will stay the same — it just might come in different forms. This activity is going to involve bouncy balls and shooting straws to demonstrate different types of energy.
Jam the wire in the bouncy ball so that it’s sticking straight up. Place the straw over the wire (like a sleeve) and cut the straw so it is a bit shorter than the wire sticking out of the ball. There should be enough of the wire above the straw that you can hold onto the wire without touching the straw. Tape a giant piece of paper to the bottom of the wall. Place the straw over the wire. Then hold the bouncy ball by the tip of the wire, without touching the straw, a few feet above the ground. Drop the ball, making sure that it hits the ground with the straw at the top and as perpendicular to the floor as possible. Don’t slam the ball down - just let it drop out of your hand. Make sure the floor is hard (wood, tile, stone, etc.), not carpeted.
Now drop the ball in the same way, only from a lower height. Drop the ball from a higher height than you did initially. How do the height of the drop and the height of the rebounding rocket compare? Hold a meter stick next to the piece of paper taped on the wall. Make sure the floor is hard (wood, tile, stone, etc.), not carpeted. Hold the ball/straw combo just as you did in the qualitative experiment. Start with the combo 15 cm above the floor. Drop the ball and have another team member make a mark at the highest point of the straw’s trajectory as it flies upward. Repeat five more times and average the five trials. Be aware that some of your tests might not work, but that’s okay. Increase the height to 20 cm and repeat steps 1-4. Continue in 5 cm increments until you can no longer reach the top of the straw’s trajectory to measure it. Qualitatively, how did the height of the straw’s flight compare to the height at which it started? What type of energy do the ball and straw have right before they drop?
On the next page, graph the height the straw reached (in cm) versus the height from which it was dropped (in cm).
Why do you think the straw could go as high as it did?
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Science Projects > Life Science Projects > Skeletons and Bones Science Projects Skeletons and Bones Science ProjectsWhy do you need bones? Bones give your body support. Without them, you wouldn’t even be able to walk! Keep reading to find out how your bones and joints work together to allow your body to move.  Skeleton Projects & Bone ScienceWhat makes bones strong. Even though bones are very light, they are also very strong. However, how strong they are depends on how much of the mineral calcium carbonate they contain. Do this experiment to find out how calcium carbonate affects bone strength. Make sure you get an adult to help you! What You Need:
What You Do:1. Without breaking the bone, hold the bone and try to bend it – don’t force it to bend; or it will break! Notice how stiff the bone is. 2. Place the chicken bone in the glass and fill it with vinegar. 3. Let the bone soak for 2-3 days, then pour out the vinegar. 4. Add fresh vinegar and let it soak for about 2 more days. 5. After the 4th or 5th day of soaking, take the bone out and dry it off. Now try bending the bone without breaking it. What do you notice? How does it feel different from before you soaked it in vinegar? What Happened:Bones are made of calcium carbonate and a soft material called collagen. When the chicken bone was placed in the glass of vinegar, the acid in the vinegar dissolved the calcium carbonate so that only collagen was left. Calcium (the mineral in calcium carbonate) is needed to make our bones strong. When there isn’t enough calcium, our bones become soft and are more likely to break. The soft collagen simply isn’t strong enough to support our bodies on its own. But don’t worry, the acid found in some food and drinks won’t destroy your bones. Just make sure you eat plenty of foods that have calcium in them! A few foods that contain a lot of calcium are milk, cheese, soy products, beans, almonds, and orange juice.  What Makes Your Back Flexible?What gives you the ability to bend, twist, run, or skip? Does having a lot of bones or just a few bones in your body make you more flexible? Try this experiment and find out! Make sure you have an adult help you.
1. Thread the pipe cleaner through the straw. Then gently try to bend the pipe cleaner where it is covered in the straw. Does the pipe cleaner bend much? 2. Take the pipe cleaner out of the straw and cut the straw into pieces that are about one inch long. Thread the pieces of the straw onto the pipe cleaner so that they are touching each other. 3. Now gently bend the pipe cleaner again. How easily does it bend? The pipe cleaner and straw are representing how joints allow our bodies to move. When the straw was in just one long piece, it was representing one long bone, such as our thigh bone or upper arm bone. These bones can’t bend because there is no joint there to allow that to happen. Instead, these solid bones give our bodies stability. But when the straw was cut in pieces and then placed on the pipe cleaner, it was very easy to bend because of the “joints” created by the cuts in the straw. A joint is where two or more bones meet. The small pieces of straw stacked on top of each other are very similar to how our bodies’ backbone is structured. Your spine is made up of small bones stacked on top of each other with the spinal cord threaded through them. Like the pipe cleaner, you can bend your back forward and backward, side to side, and even rotate in a circle. The stacked bones are not very stable though, so your back has strong muscles to help keep your spine straight. Your body has a lot of other joints too – bend your arms and legs, wiggle your fingers and toes, sit down, reach up high, and look from side to side. It is possible for you to move your body in all of these ways because of joints in your fingers, ankles, knees, hips, elbows, neck, and everywhere else that bones connect inside of your body! Skeletons & Bones Science LessonHave you ever seen a house or a building while it is being built? If so, you may have noticed long wooden or steel beams being constructed before the outside walls are added. These beams make up the framework of the building, very much like the way that your bones form your skeleton. Both frames provide shape, strength, and protection – your bones for your body and the beams for the building. However, unlike the framework in a house, bones are alive! Your bones will continue to grow inside your body until you are around 25 years old! Bones can also repair themselves. Small cracks form in bones all the time from bumping into objects and doing strenuous activities like running and jumping. But these cracks are rarely noticed by us because they are repaired quickly by special bone cells called osteoclasts ( say OS-TEE-O-CLASTS) and osteoblasts ( say OS-TEE-O-BLASTS). These cells also repair major breaks in the bone. A doctor may need to help set the broken bone in place, but the bone will usually heal itself in about 6-8 weeks. Bones are very strong, but are also amazingly lightweight! Bones are wrapped in a thin covering called the periosteum ( say PER-EE-OS-TEE-UM). The periosteum supplies nutrients to the bones to keep them strong and healthy. Beneath this is a hard layer called compact bone. It provides most of the strength for the bone. Inside the bone is a “spongy” material. It has lots of holes and gaps in it to make your bones lightweight and also allow for the production of red blood cells. Based on their shape, bones can be classified as long, short, flat, or irregular. (FYI: bone fossils give us clues about animals that may have lived long ago.) Long bones are easy to spot because they are longer than they are wide. Finger bones, arm bones, and leg bones are all good examples of long bones. Short bones tend to look like a cube. The bones in your wrists and ankles are short bones. Flat bones are thin and look flattened. Examples include the sternum (the bone down the middle of your chest that your ribs are connected to), shoulder blades, and the pelvic (hip) bones. Irregular bones have weird shapes and can be found all over the body. The bones in the spinal column are irregularly shaped. Since bones cannot bend without breaking, something else is needed to allow your body to move – joints. A joint is where two or more bones meet and allows movement between those bones. How much movement can occur depends on the type of joint. Here are some different joints that exist in your body: 
Skeleton Projects Printable WorksheetUse the skeleton projects worksheet to help children learn the major bones in the skeletal system. They can match each bone to the correct name and then make a paper skeleton model by cutting out each bone and putting the pieces together.  More Anatomy Projects
Teaching HomeschoolWelcome! After you finish this article, we invite you to read other articles to assist you in teaching science at home on the Resource Center, which consists of hundreds of free science articles! Shop for Science Supplies!Home Science Tools offers a wide variety of science products and kits. Find affordable beakers, dissection supplies, chemicals, microscopes, and everything else you need to teach science for all ages! Related Articles  Engaging STEM Activities for TeensEngaging STEM Activities for Teens Teens can explore many different concepts through fun and interactive activities. STEM lessons for teens can include experimenting, engineering, and more. If you have STEM toys for ten to twelve-year-olds, but your child is starting...  Fun STEM Activities for Third GradersFun STEM Activities for Third Graders STEM education is essential for young learners. The benefits go far beyond the traditional science fields. It can inspire children to pursue other interests and turn them into confident problem solvers. Some hands-on STEM...  Hands-On STEM Activities for Second GradersHands-On STEM Activities for Second Graders Hands-on STEM activities are a great way to spark a lifelong love for learning. For second graders, having lessons they can participate in can help them better understand complex subjects. There are countless activities to...  Technology Activities for Elementary StudentsTechnology Activities for Elementary Students As advanced as tech-savvy youngsters may be, there’s always more to learn. Elementary school is the perfect time for students to learn how to respect and understand how technology works, the ways it can be used, and how to...  Engineering Activities for StudentsEngineering Activities for Students Why Do Engineering Activities with Students? With the rapid expanding of technology and engineer-related fields of study, educators are always seeking new ways to keep their classrooms up to date! And with new standards like the... JOIN OUR COMMUNITYGet project ideas and special offers delivered to your inbox.  Andrea Knight Teacher · Learner · Author Light Experiments Nothing in the universe travels faster than light. (Rumors born in faculty meetings might be a close second, but light wins.) It’s easy to get kids engaged in the study of light. There are loads of light experiments that spark anticipation and wonder … some even feel like magic to young scientists. Like, 👆 Why does that perfectly good straw look broken? And, How can we pop a balloon without even touching it?👇  You can also DIY a little laser light show in your classroom with a can of Lysol and a cat toy! (Any aerosol spray will work, but why not kill a few germs at the same time, right?) For this light experiment, darken the room and spray the Lysol for a few seconds. You should basically see nothing. Now do it again, but this time aim the laser light into the path of the spray. As the beam of light reflects off the moisture in the Lysol, you’ll probably hear, “Cool!” and “Can WE try it now?”  TIP: The darker the space, the better the results. And, if you can get enough laser/aerosol donations, students can work in small teams of 2-4 and all together you can create quite a show! IDEAS FROM PINTERESTIf you’re a first grade teacher and you’re planning a science unit on the study of light and sound, check out this Pinterest board: Light and Sound Science . You’ll find so many great ways to support your science instruction with videos, books, integrated projects, and more. LIGHT EXPERIMENTSThese SCIENCE LESSONS give children the opportunity to learn how light behaves while learning key vocabulary words like energy , refract , transparent , translucent , and opaque . Each experiment comes with printable recording sheets, picture support, and a science page explaining what they observed.
👉A Fish Out of Water: Refracted light can reverse an image. 👉Let the Light Shine: Is it transparent, translucent, or opaque? 👉Ready, Aim, Pop! A light source can create heat energy. 👉The Broken Straw: Refracted light can split an image. NONFICTION SCIENCE TEXTThis SCIENCE BOOK , What Is Light? , introduces children to the concept of light and how it behaves. They’ll learn about sources of light, how light travels, and how light impacts our daily lives. Key terms such as energy , source , and waves are emphasized in the text.  STUDENT WORKSHEETSReady to print and use, these worksheets👇 help build a foundation for understanding key science concepts about light and provide a connection to other subject areas, such as phonics.  KEY VOCABULARY POSTERSThere are some pretty BIG words for some pretty little learners in this science unit, so I put together FULL-COLOR POSTERS to help children learn, understand, and remember them. Each poster features the key word, a simple graphic, and a kid-friendly definition of the term. The set includes 8 posters for the following key science terms:
 You can preview more about this science unit👉 HERE . It includes materials for teaching first graders the science behind light and sound, as well as how we use both to communicate with others.  CLICK👇TO PREVIEW RESOURCE LIGHT AND SOUND SCIENCE UNIT RECOMMENDED BOOK LISTCheck your school or local library for titles to support your science instruction. These are some of the ones I’ve used for read-alouds and to help build my own knowledge base so I could plan richer lessons and activities.
Happy teaching! MORE SCIENCE POSTS FOR 1ST GRADE In the LoopLight and Shadows - Reflection/Refraction Experiment
Also included in DescriptionThis is a set of notes to use when teaching about reflection and refraction of light . Includes notes with broken straw experiment for home or school, as well as a brief assessment of the concept (labeling examples as reflection or refraction). The assessment can be used as either formative to guide your teaching or provide student practice, or summative to assess understanding. It works very well as a distance learning resource! Since it is in Google Doc format , you could even assign it to students on Google Classroom and have them complete it online. Completely editable to suit your needs! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ More Great Resources for Science: Waste and Our World
Wheels and Levers/Building Devices That Move
Light and Shadows
Plant Growth and Change
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Observe the straw and notice that it is perfectly straight. Next, place the straw in the empty glass and take note that the straw is still straight. Helpful tip: Use a large plastic straw from a water bottle to see the results more clearly. Pour water into the glass until it is nearly full. Look directly at the side of the glass at the straw.
In this fun and easy magic science experiment, we're going to use an optical illusion to make it appear a straw is bending. Materials: Water Glass Straw Instructions: Fill the glass about halfway with water. Now put the straw into the glass of water. Observe the straw from the top, sides, and bottom of the glass. When you observe the straw from the sides of the glass, it appears to be broken ...
But below, when the light also travels through water, the refraction causes the image of the straw to be in a slightly different location. The water also acts as a type of magnifying lens, making ...
Experiment 1. The levels of water in the glass is more than a half of glass. Put a straw into the glass with water vertically and watch from the side. Slowly tilt the straw and watch how the straw appears to be broken at the water surface. Experiment 2. Raise the glass or lower your eyes to look at the straw from under the water surface.
What should happen in this experiment, and why? The straw should appear bent at the point that it passes through the surface of the water, as should anything else that is put into the glass that protrudes above the water. Objects that can be fully submerged will appear larger in the water than out of it, but only marginally.
It sounds like magic but it's really another amazing scientific principle at work. Sponsored Links. What you'll need: A glass half filled with water. A straw. 2 eyes (preferably yours) Instructions: Look at the straw from the top and bottom of the glass. Look at the straw from the side of the glass, focus on the point where the straw enters the ...
The Broken Pencil. As light travels through a given medium, it travels in a straight line. However, when light passes from one medium into a second medium, the light path bends. Refraction takes place. The refraction occurs only at the boundary. Once the light has crossed the boundary between the two media, it continues to travel in a straight ...
Unlike objects that reflect, objects that refract light look different. For example, when looking at a glass of water with a straw in it, the straw may appear to be broken. This happens because light moves more slowly in water than in air. As a result, the light bends as it passes from air to water, making the straw appear to be bent.
This "refraction" of light is the reason a straw in water looks bent or broken and why objects viewed through a glass bottle appear distorted. In the same way light reflects differently off different surfaces, it also refracts differently depending on the shape of the material. This can make refraction very useful.
This can be a risky experiment for those with poor aim, according to Steve Spangler Science, as a plunging, sealed straw could potentially break the skin. ... It's the air pressure in the top of the straw that holds the water in from the bottom of the straw. Once the thumb seal is broken, the water spills out. Related Articles. Egg in Bottle ...
Prep Work. Have an adult help to cut two half-inch slits, across from one another, lengthwise in one end of a straw. These cuts will help you slip the end of one straw over another one. Image Credit: Sabine De Brabandere, Science Buddies / Science Buddies. Prepare 10 more straws in a similar way until you have enough for a super long mega-straw ...
This lens bends the incoming light towards the middle. Here, the light rays meet at what is called the focal point. Past the focal point, the image is inverted because the light rays overlap. Seeing isn't always believing, especially when refraction is involved! See how water bends light, "breaking" a pencil right before your eyes.
Learn about the refraction of light in this experiment with Stephanie Guzman, Optical Engineer at Edmund Optics! Refraction is the bending of light as it travels from one medium to another, and it causes some strange things to happen when a spoon or straw is lowered into a round glass of water. To learn more about light, please visit www ...
Spies and Jedis are the backdrop for testing how to bend light as a gadget, just like the basic "broken straw" experiment with an object in water as shown above. Note, some pictures were taken pre-Covid, as we encourage our students to wear masks. Tagged: Spy Camp, Periscope STEAM.
Tape a giant piece of paper to the bottom of the wall. Place the straw over the wire. Then hold the bouncy ball by the tip of the wire, without touching the straw, a few feet above the ground. Drop the ball, making sure that it hits the ground with the straw at the top and as perpendicular to the floor as possible.
Make your very own rainbow! Your kids will love this simple science experiment that demonstrates the density of different fluids. Find more science experimen...
2. Place the chicken bone in the glass and fill it with vinegar. 3. Let the bone soak for 2-3 days, then pour out the vinegar. 4. Add fresh vinegar and let it soak for about 2 more days. 5. After the 4th or 5th day of soaking, take the bone out and dry it off. Now try bending the bone without breaking it.
(Rumors born in faculty meetings might be a close second, but light wins.) It's easy to get kids engaged in the study of light. There are loads of light experiments that spark anticipation and wonder … some even feel like magic to young scientists. Like, 👆Why does that perfectly good straw look broken?
This is a set of notes to use when teaching about reflection and refraction of light.Includes notes with broken straw experiment for home or school, as well as a brief assessment of the concept (labeling examples as reflection or refraction).The assessment can be used as either formative to guide your teaching or provide student practice, or summative to assess understanding.
experiment. NEVER eat or drink anything when performing any experiment. REMEMBER experiments may require marbles, small balls, balloons, and other small parts. Those objects could become a CHOKING HAZARD. Adults are to perform those experiments using these objects. Any child can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Keep uninflated
This week I learned about Refraction. I did cool experiment with straw and pencil. Another magic was flipping arrow and rainbow lines. It's an easy kids scie...
perform those experiments using these objects. Any child can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Keep uninflated or broken balloons away from children. INGREDIENTS • Straw with Paper Wrapper • Water INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Using your fingers, completely scrunch the wrapper to the end of the straw.
The 21 grams experiment refers to a study published in 1907 by Duncan MacDougall, a physician from Haverhill, Massachusetts.MacDougall hypothesized that souls have physical weight, and attempted to measure the mass lost by a human when the soul departed the body. MacDougall attempted to measure the mass change of six patients at the moment of death. One of the six subjects lost three-quarters ...