refraction of light with an arrow experiment

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Reversing Arrows Experiment

February 22, 2021 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

We’ve done this light refraction experiment many times before, but this time it’s Alice in Wonderland themed.

A reversing arrows science investigation is very easy and can be made as simple or creative as you wish.

If you don’t want to theme it like I have below, just draw arrows on a small piece of card or paper and place them behind a glass of water.

If you like the Alice in Wonderland theme, I have a similar mirror writing activity too!

You’ll need

Paper straws

Card or paper

Felt tip pens

A tall glass of water

Instructions

Create signs like I have in the image below.

Place a glass of water in front of the signs and watch what happens.

Try moving the glass closer to the sign and further away. You should find that if you move the glass closer to the sign the image is not reversed.

The science of light refraction

The light reaching your eye coming from the arrow is  refracted  ( bent ) through the glass of water. The glass of water acts like a  convex lens  (like you might have in a magnifying glass). Convex lenses bend light to a  focal point . This is the point at which the light from an object crosses.

The light that was at the tip of the arrow is now on the right side and the light on the right side is now on the left as far as your eye is concerned (assuming you are further away from the glass than the focal point.

Extension Task

Move the arrow image closer to the glass than the focal point. It should now be the way around you expect it to be!

Experiment with different images and text on your signs.

More light refraction experiments

Make a coin disappear with this fun refraction magic trick !

This bending a pencil activity from Raising Lifelong Learners is great too!

Find out how refraction plays a part in rainbows and how to bend light with a prism .

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Last Updated on February 7, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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Refraction of Light Experiment

For an easy and engaging science experiment, try this refraction of light experiment! Kids will be amazed to watch the arrows magically switch directions as they perform this fun science trick.

RELATED: Grow a Rainbow Experiment

Light Refraction Experiment Using Arrows

You will only need a few supplies for this experiment and you probably already have them! In this trick, kids can observe how the water makes their arrows appear as if they are switching directions through light refraction.

You could also play around with different colors, shapes and words to see how they change when water is added into the cups.

Watch the Video Tutorial!

The Science

Here’s what you will observe: As you pour the water into the glass, the arrow will appear like it is magically switching directions.

When light passes through one transparent thing into another (for example: from air through to glass and water) it undergoes what is known as refraction. Refraction happens because light travels at different speeds in different materials (such as air and water). The light bends when it enters the water and then bends again when it leaves the water. This bending of light causes the image to appear flipped in our eyes.

Note: The distance of the arrow to the cup can play a role in whether you see the arrow flip. If the arrow does not flip, you may need to adjust the distance of the arrow to the cup (either closer or further away).

Follow-up experiments: Try doing this experiment again by changing some of the variables. See what happens when you change the image. Or change the colors. You can also experiment with different liquids. Or try filling the glass halfway!

Supplies Needed

• 2 clear glasses
• 2 pieces of white cardstock or paper
• Black marker
• Small bowls or another object to prop the paper on

How to Make the Arrows Reverse

1. Cut out two square pieces of paper.

Using a black marker, draw an arrow on each piece of white cardstock.

2. Prop the pieces of cardstock up against a small bowl or another small object.

Place the arrow about 12 inches back from the glass. If you do not see the arrow flip, you may need to adjust the distance of the arrow to the glass (either closer or further away depending on your position).

3. Arrange the arrows so they are facing opposite directions for two arrows.

You can also do this experiment with just one arrow.

4. Fill the glasses with water.

For an arrow facing left without water, it will flip to face right once the water is added in.

Kids will be amazed to see the arrow flip directions while learning about light refraction!

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Turning Arrow (Refraction Experiment)

You will need:

• Draw an arrow pointing left or right on the paper and rest it against something so it is standing up.
• Place a transparent (clear) glass in front of the picture so you can clearly see the arrow through the glass.
• Fill another glass with water and pour it into the first glass.
• Watch your arrow change direction!

The science bit:

• Drawing a different picture and seeing what it looks like when it is refracted!
• Make this refraction experiment even better by trying different liquids – does it look different when using oil, or vinegar (for example)?

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Simple Science Experiments: Simple Light Refraction Experiment

December 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

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We’re continuing with our simple science experiments this week by taking a look at light refraction. I found a great light refraction experiment video on YouTube and decided to try it with Tigger.

Full disclosure: I didn’t know that refraction was what this experiment demonstrated. I actually had to look it up first. But the experiment is super easy and quick, so that’s a big plus!

Check out this easy way to teach kids about light with this simple light refraction experiment !

And, if you like this one, try some of our other science activities, including how to make an egg float and our easy heat conduction experiment !

Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Watching the original light refraction experiment on YouTube will give you a great look at what’s involved in this activity. But you really only need four things:

• A sticky note (I used a Post-It)
• An empty transparent bottle

Draw two arrows on a sticky note. Make sure that each arrow points in a different direction. Stick the note to a blank wall.

Next, fill up the water bottle. Oh – put the lid on before you do this too! You don’t want water spilling out when you move the bottle around…lol.

The alternating arrows on the note point to the left and the right. Let the kids gradually move the water-filled bottle in front of the sticky note. As the bottle moves in front of the sticky note, something amazing happens.

The arrows appear to change direction! The top arrow, which points to the left, appears to point to the right. And the bottom arrow, which points to the right, appears to point to the left!

Move the bottle back to see the arrows return to their original directions.

So what exactly is going on? We learned that refraction occurs because light bends when it passes through substances, such as water and plastic.

As the light travels through a substance, it becomes concentrated into a focal point, usually near the center. After light passes through the focal point, the rays cross over each other and cause images to appear reversed.

Turns out you can’t believe your eyes after all! 🙂

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• Science is Simple: Over 250 Activities for Preschoolers
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July 13, 2014 at 5:11 pm

I love this demonstration. Must do it again with my kids! Amazing how much you can learn and do with simple household objects!

August 3, 2014 at 1:43 am

Light refraction and how it moves is really so cool. Thanks for linking up to Science Sunday (even when I’m behind on commenting).

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[…] Simple Light Refraction Experiment from Look, We’re Learning!: This experiment is quick and easy to set up, and it’s a simple way to teach kids about light refraction in water using a water bottle, a post-it note, and a marker. […]

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Refraction of light.

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Refraction is the bending of light (it also happens with sound, water and other waves) as it passes from one transparent substance into another.

This bending by refraction makes it possible for us to have lenses, magnifying glasses, prisms and rainbows. Even our eyes depend upon this bending of light. Without refraction, we wouldn’t be able to focus light onto our retina.

Change of speed causes change of direction

Light refracts whenever it travels at an angle into a substance with a different refractive index (optical density).

This change of direction is caused by a change in speed. For example, when light travels from air into water, it slows down, causing it to continue to travel at a different angle or direction.

How much does light bend?

The amount of bending depends on two things:

• Change in speed – if a substance causes the light to speed up or slow down more, it will refract (bend) more.
• Angle of the incident ray – if the light is entering the substance at a greater angle, the amount of refraction will also be more noticeable. On the other hand, if the light is entering the new substance from straight on (at 90° to the surface), the light will still slow down, but it won’t change direction at all.

Refractive index of some transparent substances

All angles are measured from an imaginary line drawn at 90° to the surface of the two substances This line is drawn as a dotted line and is called the normal.

If light enters any substance with a higher refractive index (such as from air into glass) it slows down. The light bends towards the normal line.

If light travels enters into a substance with a lower refractive index (such as from water into air) it speeds up. The light bends away from the normal line.

A higher refractive index shows that light will slow down and change direction more as it enters the substance.

A lens is simply a curved block of glass or plastic. There are two kinds of lens.

A biconvex lens is thicker at the middle than it is at the edges. This is the kind of lens used for a magnifying glass. Parallel rays of light can be focused in to a focal point. A biconvex lens is called a converging lens.

A biconcave lens curves is thinner at the middle than it is at the edges. Light rays refract outwards (spread apart) as they enter the lens and again as they leave.

Refraction can create a spectrum

Isaac Newton performed a famous experiment using a triangular block of glass called a prism. He used sunlight shining in through his window to create a spectrum of colours on the opposite side of his room.

This experiment showed that white light is actually made of all the colours of the rainbow. These seven colours are remembered by the acronym ROY G BIV – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Newton showed that each of these colours cannot be turned into other colours. He also showed that they can be recombined to make white light again.

The explanation for the colours separating out is that the light is made of waves. Red light has a longer wavelength than violet light. The refractive index for red light in glass is slightly different than for violet light. Violet light slows down even more than red light, so it is refracted at a slightly greater angle.

The refractive index of red light in glass is 1.513. The refractive index of violet light is 1.532. This slight difference is enough for the shorter wavelengths of light to be refracted more.

A rainbow is caused because each colour refracts at slightly different angles as it enters, reflects off the inside and then leaves each tiny drop of rain.

A rainbow is easy to create using a spray bottle and the sunshine. The centre of the circle of the rainbow will always be the shadow of your head on the ground.

The secondary rainbow that can sometimes be seen is caused by each ray of light reflecting twice on the inside of each droplet before it leaves. This second reflection causes the colours on the secondary rainbow to be reversed. Red is at the top for the primary rainbow, but in the secondary rainbow, red is at the bottom.

Activity ideas

Use these activities with your students to explore refration further:

• Investigating refraction and spearfishing – students aim spears at a model of a fish in a container of water. When they move their spears towards the fish, they miss!
• Angle of refraction calculator challenge – students choose two types of transparent substance. They then enter the angle of the incident ray in the spreadsheet calculator, and the angle of the refracted ray is calculated for them.
• Light and sight: true or false? – students participate in an interactive ‘true or false’ activity that highlights common alternative conceptions about light and sight. This activity can be done individually, in pairs or as a whole class .

Useful links

Learn more about different types of rainbows, how they are made and other atmospheric optical phenomena with this MetService blog and Science Kids post .

Learn more about human lenses, optics, photoreceptors and neural pathways that enable vision through this tutorial from Biology Online .

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Light Refraction -- Fun, INDEPENDENT Experiments

20 comments

Neat activities!! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, these are great. We did this topic and science fair a little earlier this year. I am going to do this next year. I agree with you on how much the students love to do hands-on science. My class loves even the simplest of experiments and demonstrations. Thanks so much for sharing.

Love this! I plan on doing a lot of fun, hands-on science after state testing as well as holding a classroom science fair. This is perfect! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks everyone! My parents and students of all ages really loved them....though I do have to say, there was water all over. So make sure you have some big buckets to put the stuff in.

Great Blog! I am your newest follower! Adrienne Unless Teaching

Very awesome! I just did the bending pencil activity in my class last week, and may plan some of these other activities soon. Thanks much for the inspiration!

We have an annual science fair at our school. I love the idea of setting up stations like this to get the students thinking and asking questions. Artistry of Education

I loved this post! I am teaching a unit on light next term and these activities will be perfect. I am wondering if it's at all possible please to download the rationales as well? I would be happy to buy them through TPT. Thanks for such a great site. All of your posts inspire me to be more rigorous in my teaching!

Never mind - just found it at the end of the Google Docs. I'm like those kids who never read all the instructions before starting an activity ;) Thanks for sharing this resource with us!

I love this site! Thank you for sharing your great ideas and resources! I'm student teaching and looking for hands on labs for my sixth grade. I liked the idea of the broken pencil because it incorporated density by using the saltwater, however when I try it at home I can't seem to get it to work. I've created a solution of 1/2 cup of salt to about 1 cup of water... it was pretty saturated... any ideas of what I'm doing wrong? I can see the density line, but it doesn't translate to 'break' the pencil.

Thanks so much for sharing!

Brilliantly executed.

Thank you! I am always looking for more ways to teach refraction. Can't wait to try it!

Brilliant- these will help my Grade 5s understand more about refraction (they certainly helped me!!)

Can you explain the magnification experiment more?

This is AWESOME, Stephanie! We are doing light right now. I've got to get my butt in gear and do this with them. Thanks for the great post! FlapJack

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Thank you so much for your help with these experiments. You are truly an amazing teacher. Thank you for the worksheets and the answers.

Fantastic site. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. I'm looking forward to teaching this unit now!!

Great ideas and awesome resources. I have always struggled with getting students to record their observations. I think these will work great! Thank you for sharing!

Please leave a comment! I love to hear what you think about what is posted :)

Welcome to Room 6!

I am so glad to have you along with me for this teaching journey we are both on.

This newsletter will always be full of tried and true, classroom tested ideas that will

work for YOU! Let's learn and grow together.

Refraction of Light ( CIE IGCSE Physics )

Revision note.

Ray diagrams for refraction

• The angle of the wave approaching the boundary is called the angle of incidence (i)
• The angle of the wave leaving the boundary is called the angle of refraction (r)
• An incident ray has an arrow pointing towards the boundary
• A refracted ray has an arrow pointing away from the boundary
• The angles of incidence and refraction are usually labelled i and r respectively

Refraction ray diagram

A ray diagram for light refracting at a boundary, showing the normal, angle of incidence and angle of refraction

Refraction of light

• At the boundary, the rays of light change  direction

This change in direction depends on the difference in   density   between the two media:

From   less dense to more dense   (e.g air to glass), light bends   towards   the normal

From   more dense to less dense   (e.g. glass to air), light bends   away   from the normal

When passing along the   normal   (perpendicular) the light   does not bend   at all

• The refracted ray at the first boundary becomes the incident ray at the second boundary

Refraction diagram of light from air through a glass block

How to construct a ray diagram showing the refraction of light as it passes through a rectangular block

• When light passes into a denser substance, the waves will slow down ; hence, they bend towards the normal
• Different frequencies account for different colours of light (red has a low frequency, whilst blue has a high frequency)
• When light refracts, it does not change colour (think of a pencil in a glass of water), therefore, the frequency does not change

Practice drawing refraction diagrams as much as you can! It's very important to remember which way the light bends when it crosses a boundary:

As the light enters the block it bends towards the normal line

Remember: Enters Towards

When it leaves the block it bends away from the normal line

Remember: Leaves Away

You only need to know about light passing through the boundaries between two media.

Investigating Refraction

Aims of the experiment.

• To investigate the refraction of light using rectangular blocks, semi-circular blocks and triangular prisms
• Independent variable = shape of the block
• Dependent variable = angle of refraction
• Width of the light beam
• Same frequency / wavelength of the light

Equipment list

• Protractor = 1°
• Ruler = 1 mm

Refraction diagram for equipment

Diagram showing a ray box alongside three different-shaped glass blocks

Refraction diagram set up

Apparatus to investigate refraction

• Place the glass block on a sheet of paper, and carefully draw around the rectangular perspex block using a pencil
• Switch on the ray box and direct a beam of light at the side face of the block
• A point on the ray close to the ray box
• The point where the ray enters the block
• The point where the ray exits the block
• A point on the exit light ray which is a distance of about 5 cm away from the block
• Draw a dashed line normal (at right angles) to the outline of the block where the points are
• Remove the block and join the points marked with three straight lines
• Replace the block within its outline and repeat the above process for a ray striking the block at a different angle
• Repeat the procedure for each shape of perspex block (prism and semi-circular)

Analysis of results

• Consider the light paths through the different-shaped blocks

Refraction experiment results with different media

Refraction of light through different shapes of perspex blocks

• The final diagram for each shape will include multiple light ray paths for the different angles of incidences ( i ) at which the light strikes the blocks
• Label these paths clearly with (1) (2) (3) or A , B , C to make these clearer 
• Use the laws of refraction to analyse these results

Evaluating the experiment

Systematic errors.

• Use a set square to draw perpendicular lines

Random errors

• Use a sharpened pencil and mark in the middle of the beam
• Use a protractor with a higher resolution

Safety considerations

• Run burns under cold running water for at least five minute
• Avoid looking directly at the light
• Stand behind the ray box during the experiment
• Keep all liquids away from the electrical equipment and paper

In your examination, you might be asked to write a method explaining how you might investigate the refraction of light through different shaped blocks

As part of this method you should describe:

• What equipment you need
• How you will use the equipment
• How you will trace the rays of light before, while and after they pass through the block

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Katie has always been passionate about the sciences, and completed a degree in Astrophysics at Sheffield University. She decided that she wanted to inspire other young people, so moved to Bristol to complete a PGCE in Secondary Science. She particularly loves creating fun and absorbing materials to help students achieve their exam potential.

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Science Experiments

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

Optical illusion

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JSmol Viewer

Fundamentals of determination of the biological tissue refractive index by ellipsoidal reflector method.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 3. results and discussion, 4. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Bezugla, N.; Romodan, O.; Komada, P.; Stelmakh, N.; Bezuglyi, M. Fundamentals of Determination of the Biological Tissue Refractive Index by Ellipsoidal Reflector Method. Photonics 2024 , 11 , 828. https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11090828

Bezugla N, Romodan O, Komada P, Stelmakh N, Bezuglyi M. Fundamentals of Determination of the Biological Tissue Refractive Index by Ellipsoidal Reflector Method. Photonics . 2024; 11(9):828. https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11090828

Bezugla, Natalia, Oleksandra Romodan, Pawel Komada, Nataliia Stelmakh, and Mykhailo Bezuglyi. 2024. "Fundamentals of Determination of the Biological Tissue Refractive Index by Ellipsoidal Reflector Method" Photonics 11, no. 9: 828. https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11090828

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