======Color Mixing and Shadows======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Mixing Red, Green, and Blue Light
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Set up a white wall or screen in a darkened room.  
  - Arrange three light sources (such as colored LED bulbs or flashlights covered with red, green, and blue filters) so they shine on the screen from slightly different angles.  
  - Place an object (such as a marker or hand) in front of the lights to cast shadows.  
  - Move the object closer to and farther from the wall to observe how the shadows become sharper or blurrier.  
  - Observe that multiple shadows appear in different colors depending on which light beams are blocked.  
  - Unscrew or turn off one colored light at a time to see how removing a color changes the resulting shadows and glow.  
  - Experiment with colored objects (such as a yellow bag or multicolored logo) to observe how their appearance changes under different light combinations.


====Links==== 
Colored light shadows color mixing...great student activity - Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany: 
{{youtube>eZ9EpA6TvBw?}}\\

Colour Mixing with Light Experiment | Kids Science - Explore Planet English: 
{{youtube>ehPud03NLAc?}}\\

📄 Color Mixing Shadows - Inventors of Tomorrow: [[https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2018/07/23/color-mixing-shadows/]]\\


====Variations====
  * Use 3 video projects with a different color projected each as powerful light sources.
  * Use remote-controlled dimmers or switches so students can safely control light intensity.  
  * Place lights behind a translucent screen or box to reduce glare and increase safety.  
  * Try mixing just two colors at a time (red + blue, red + green, green + blue) and compare results.  
  * Replace bulbs with programmable RGB LEDs for more precise mixing.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Do not stare directly into bright LED bulbs; diffuse light with a translucent screen if possible.  
  * Prevent children from touching or unscrewing bulbs; assign adults to handle equipment.  
  * Secure light fixtures to prevent tipping or breakage.  
  * Cover unused power strip outlets with outlet covers.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why do we see multiple shadows in different colors? (Each shadow blocks one or more of the light sources, leaving the other colors to show.)  
  * How is mixing colors of light different from mixing paint? (Light uses additive mixing—red, green, and blue make white light—whereas paint uses subtractive mixing.)  
  * What happens to a colored object under different light sources? (It only reflects certain wavelengths, so its apparent color changes with the light available.)  
  * Why do shadows appear sharper or blurrier depending on distance from the screen? (Closer objects block light more directly, producing sharper shadows; farther objects allow overlapping edges.)