Exploring Colored Shadows

Are reflections ever colored? To find out, you and your child can do the following activity together. You'll need some empty clean glass jars or glasses, food coloring, a flashlight, and white paper. Fill the jars or glasses with water and add different food coloring to each one. Shine the flashlight through the jar or glass. On the other side, hold the white paper up so the light shines through the colored water and onto the paper. What do you see? Where did the color come from? What happens if you shine the light through two jars that each contain a different color?