National Chemistry Week - Experiments - Colour Mixing

The Aim:

to observe the mixing of primary colours to form secondary colours

What you will need:

• red, blue and yellow felt markers
• one thumb tack for each student
• one pencil with an eraser end for each student
• white paper
• scissors
• compass
• protractor
• ruler

What to do:

1. Have the students use the compass to draw a circle with an 8 cm radius. In the middle of this circle have them draw a circle with a 5 cm radius and in this circle's centre have them draw a 2 cm radius circle.

2. Have the students divide the colour wheel into 6 even pie-slice shaped pieces (every 60 degrees) using a ruler and protractor.

3. Have the students colour the sections as labelled on the picture below. (It may be useful to have this sketched on the blackboard or let your students use a colour wheel that you have coloured as a guide.)

4. Stick a thumb tack throught the centre of the circle after it is completed and into the eraser tip of a pencil

5. Tell the students to spin the pencils rapidly between the palms of their hands.

6. Encourage observations.