Page 2
+
ward
'
s
science
5100 West Henrietta Road • PO Box 92912 • Rochester, New York 14692-9012 • p: 800 962-2660 • wardsci.com
Find materials for this activity at wardsci.com.
Discover more free activities at wardsworld.wardsci.com
Step-by-Step Procedure:
1. Hang your phosphorescent wall up in a very dark room.
2. Demonstrate that you can write on the wall with the flashlight beams. They create temporary glow in the dark lines based on
where the light is shined. Point out that the red doesn't work and the farther you get from R to V in ROY G. BIV the better the
flashlights work in creating a glow in the dark trail.
3. Use the flash to make the screen glow in the dark but make sure to block portions of the screen with something to create a
temporary shadow.
4. Have fun with this experience. Make silly shadows with the flash then quickly draw on them with the violet flashlights. Use
showmanship to during this procedure to keep the students entertained. Use student volunteers.
Teaching Notes:
• During explanations listed below make sure to incorporate Socratic dialogue, turn-and-talk discussions, and Q & A.
• Explain the electromagnetic spectrum and how it emits radioactivity and energy. Explain the different wavelengths.
Explain how light is absorbed and reflected when it hits particles. Explain how this excites atoms.
• Explain that phosphorescent materials, such as the screen, do not immediately reemit the light radiation they absorb
but rather do so over time creating a glow effect.
• Explain the red has the longest wavelength has the smallest amount of energy on the visible light spectrum while violet
has the shortest wavelength and the greatest energy. Therefore red doesn't work on the screen while violet does.
Light Waves and Phosphorescence
