Create a Bowl of Rainbows

Just four materials + endless varieties

Materials

• 1 bowl of water

• Clear nail polish

• Black construction paper

• Towels

Directions

1. Fill the bowl with water.

2. Drip one drop of clear nail polish into the bowl (Do this activity outside if you’re sensitive to strong smells).

3. Wait a few seconds, then dip the piece of paper into the water.

4. Pull the paper out of the water and voila! You’ve created a rainbow on the paper

5. Dry the papers on towels.

Why it works

The rainbows created on the paper are a result of thin-film interference. The paper gets coated with a thin layer of nail polish causing light waves to be reflected resulting in a rainbow effect. The upper and lower boundaries of the film interfere with each other and the light is either enhanced or reduced. The colors on the paper will vary depending on the thickness of the polish on the paper.

adapted from Children’s Science Center