Rainbow Colors Generated by Viewing Transparent Polymers through Polarizers
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Daisuke Kajiya [1]
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[1] Hiroshima University
Hiroshima University
Naka-ku, Japón
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 97, Nº 1, 2020, págs. 154-158
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
The colorless lenses of safety glasses worn by students while doing chemistry experiments become strikingly colored when sandwiched between polarizers, and such coloration can be demonstrated in many everyday materials. This paper describes a suite of demonstrations using transparent bags; cups; adhesive tape; and bottles made of cellophane, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate. One demonstration shows distinct bands of color through different thicknesses of cellophane tape. Others show that a color gradation can be generated by heating and stretching polymer materials sandwiched between polarizers, and that brilliant colors can be observed by simply looking at the sky at sunrise through a single polarizer. These activities can be performed in a classroom with students ranging from elementary school to college, using supplies that are readily available and portable. Some activities may be assigned as homework. Lecture materials suitable for undergraduate science and nonscience majors are presented. Calculations for predicting the sequence of distinct bands of color and gradually changing colors are described as additional information for teachers.
