Hooked on Science: American flag shadow

Materials

• Blank canvas
• Glow-in-the-dark paint
• Bright flashlight
• American flag
• Construction paper
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

• STEP 1: Paint the blank canvas with the glow-in-the-dark paint. Allow the canvas to dry.
• STEP 2: Shine the flashlight through the American flag, construction paper and plastic wrap. What happened? Which object is considered translucent, transparent or opaque? Why?
• STEP 3: Place the flag flat on the canvas, shine the flashlight over the flag, turn off the flashlight, remove the flag and observe. What happened? Why?

Explanation

The glow-in-the-dark paint absorbs light and then re-emits the light over a period of time, causing the canvas to glow. The flag is translucent and stops some of the light from reaching the paint, therefore preventing that area from glowing and making it look as if you captured the shadow of the American flag.