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ETV Junior Secondary Science Programme

The Science of Colours of Light


Teachers Notes
Target Audience
Secondary 1 - 3

Duration
20 minutes

Production Aim
This programme is a teaching resource produced especially for enriching the
classroom teaching of the Syllabus for Science (Secondary 1 3) prepared by
the Curriculum Development Council (1998).
The content of the programme serves to illustrate the following parts of the
Syllabus:
Unit 15 Light, Colours and Beyond
Topic 15.3 - Colour

Key Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The dispersion of white light.


The mixing of colours from primary colours.
The production of colours on a colour TV.
The causes of colour blindness.
The appearance of colours of objects

Content Outline
The programme is divided into 8 segments:
1.

Illusion of light
Interesting examples are used to illustrate colours of different objects in nature.
A vivid description of how Issac Newton discovered colours using a prism is
presented by animation.

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2.

The dispersion of white light


When a parallel light beam from a ray box passes a triangular prism, it breaks
down into seven different colours. They are, from one end to another end, red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. Scientists call this band of
colours spectrum.
Dispersion occurs when light rays of different colours experience different
degrees of refraction in the prism. Red light is the least refracted and is thus
dispersed the least. Purple light if the most refracted and is thus dispersed the
most.

3.

Rainbow
The formation of rainbow is due to the numerous water droplets in the
atmosphere. The water droplets suspended in the atmosphere act like a
prism. When sunlight enters into a water droplet, it is refracted once. It is then
reflected within the droplet and refracted once again when it emerges from
the
droplet. Light rays of different colours are refracted to varying degrees. Red light
is the least refracted and purple light is the most refracted. After two refractions,
the white light is turned into a seven-colour spectrum.
The production of artificial rainbow is demonstrated in this segment.
4.

The combination of the colours of light


The composition of white light is complex, but it can be combined with three
primary colours. Light of any other colour can be formed by the primary
colours with varying intensity. The three primary colours are red, blue and
green. Mix the three colours of red, green and blue and white light is formed
again.

5.

Colour television
The millions of colours on a colour TV screen are produced by mixing red,
blue and green colours. There are three different types of phosphor strips on the
TV screen. When an electron beam falls on the phosphor strips, the strips can
show red, blue or green light. Each strip is composed of small dots which are
so small that they can not been seen by a naked eye. Human eye cannot
distinguish the light from each individual dot. Colours can thus be seen as the
formation by the mixture of the three colour lights.
The basic principles of electron guns are illustrated by animation in this
segment.

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6.

Sense of colour
The eyes can distinguish different colours. This is known as the sense of
colour. There are two types of light sensitive cells on the retina: the rods and
the cones. The sense of colour is produced when the cone cells of the eyeball
are activated. Every cone senses one of the colours red, blue or green. They
react to different coloured light in different ways to produce the sensation of
colour perception. These three colour elements can be found on the retina of a
man of normal vision. However, if two elements are missing, all objects will
appear to be grey in colour. This is the most serious type of colour vision
impairment and is clinically known as total colour blindness. If one element
is missing, the man cannot identify that particular colour. It is known as colour
blindness of that particular colour.

7.

Mixing colours on a palette


The colour of an object is the colour reflected by the object when white light
falls on the surface of the object. The mixing of colours of light is different
form the mixing of colours of paint. The details are explained in this segment.

8.

Objects under coloured light


All objects show their true colour only under sunlight. The surface of a white
object reflects all light falling on it. So it is red when illuminated with red
light,
and blue when illuminated with blue light. Various examples are used
to demonstrate the colour of object under coloured light.

Suggestions for Utilization


The teacher is advised to show the programme in one lesson. The teacher may spend
5 to 10 minutes at the beginning of each lesson to lead students to discuss with
reference to the Preparation before viewing the programme part of the Suggested
Activities. The teacher may then show the programme. After the show, the teacher
may spend another 10 to 15 minutes to discuss with students with a view to
consolidating the concepts and methods illustrated in the programme. The teacher is
advised to refer to the Activities after viewing the programme part of Suggested
Activities.

Suggested Activities
(The following activities are suggested for teachers reference only. The teacher
may wish to use the activities according to students abilities, the learning
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environment of the class, and the teaching time available.)

Preparation before viewing the programme


1.
2.

The teacher can discuss with students why objects appear in different colours.
The teacher can lead students to find out the physical phenomenon which is
related to the formation of rainbow.

Activities after viewing the programme


(1) The teacher can instruct and supervise student to carry out experiment on the
formation of spectrum by using a prism.
(2) The teacher can supervise students to make an artificial rainbow.

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