The Digital Bits Science Labs are fun science experiments for young children. Kids, make sure you have an adult's permission before trying any of these science experiments.
Digital Bits Science Lab
Science Experiments for Kids, Parents and Teachers
See refraction in a glass of water
Description:
You’ve probably seen this happen at a restaurant. You’re sipping your drink through a straw. You glance at your glass at just the right angle, and the straw looks “broken”. Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening.
Equipment Needed:
A straw (a stick, a pencil, a chopstick, or any other straight object will work fine)
A tall glass
Water
The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:
Fill the glass halfway with water. Put the straw in it. If you place the straw at just the right angle, and view the glass from just the right angle, the straw will appear “broken”:
What’s happening here?
This experiment demonstrates the concept of refraction. Refraction happens when light is bent – it doesn’t always travel in a straight line. The water in the glass bends light as you’re looking at it. So part of the straw looks like it’s in a different place.
This strange appearance of the straw is because of what is called the “refractive index”. The refractive index is the measurement of slowdown light (and other waveform energy) encounters when in a particular substance. The refractive index of water is different than the refractive index of air. Light behaves differently when in water versus air. To us, this simply looks like our straw is bent or broken.
Other articles related to this topic:
- Introduction to refraction
- Build a balloon-powered mini-hovercraft
- Learn about volume and space with ice water
- Power a boat with surface tension: Make a “zoomer”
- How to make your own rainbow, and meet “Roy G. Biv”