Activities > For Ages 10 and Up

Glowing Water

This activity will show kids how light reflects and bends as it comes in contract with water.

Materials

  • Plastic Bottle
  • Something to make a hole with (sharp pen maybe)
  • A flashlight
  • Water

Directions

  1. Poke a hole near the bottom of the water bottle
  2. Put your finger over the hole and fill the water bottle with water.
  3. Shine the flashlight through the bottle. Make sure your flashlight is right behind your hole.
  4. Remove your finger and place your hand under the stream of water coming out.
  5. What do you notice about the light?

Explanation

Rather than shining straight through the water bottle, you should have noticed the flashlight’s light following the path of the streaming water. This is because water is actually a really reflective substance. So much so, that it reflects off of itself. The light initially travels straight through the water, but once it hits the edge, it reflects in the opposite direction. It keeps reflecting off of the water until the light exits onto your hand.