Not your usual experiment, this is a book: “The League of Scientists” is a young adult fiction book by Andy Kaiser (the creator of Digital Bits Science Lab).

Equipment needed:

The League of Scientists is available here: http://www.LeagueOfScientists.com

The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:

The League of Scientists is a group of smart kids who love science. They use their knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve seemingly-supernatural mysteries.

One of the components of the book is the mystery aspect, and not just the “main” mystery. In most chapters, there is a puzzle. The solution to the puzzle involves the application of science or critical thinking. The book is intended to give science education (and scientific applications – something you don’t always get from such fiction) while still giving kids a good story and characters.

How does a color TV show colors? How does a computer monitor show colors? Use a hand magnifier to see how a computer or color TV displays such a wide range of colors.

Equipment needed:

A good hand magnifier. A standard low-power magnifying glass will work, although, like other optics, you get what you pay for. A nice Hastings Triplet Magnifier will cost more, but between the 10X magnification and the clear, distortion-free image I think it’s worth it if you plan to use it much.

A color display. Like the one you are probably using right now to read this. Although, if you only have a low-power magnifier, it will be easier to see how it works if you use a color television instead of a computer display.

The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:

Look at the test pattern picture below with your magnifier. (Click on the photo to view the full-size version.)

You can also turn on your TV to something that shows different colors and look at that.

What you will see is that, close up, the screen really only shows three colors: tiny rectangles of red, green, and blue. The rectangles are so small that, from a distance, they all blur together and your eye mixes the colors.

To make different colors, the display makes the rectangles brighter and dimmer. If you look at the test pattern picture, you can see that each color is different brightnesses of the colored rectangles.