Demo1st Grade

Diffraction-Grating Rainbow

Multiple spectra appear on both sides.

Teaching & key ideas

What you do: View a narrow white light through grating. What students see: Multiple spectra appear on both sides. Why it works: Closely spaced lines make different wavelengths interfere at different angles. Question to ask: How is this rainbow different from a prism rainbow?

Lesson flow

Predict → demonstrate → observe → briefly explain → ask: How is this rainbow different from a prism rainbow?