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Weather Experiment: Why is the sky blue?

This experiment requires 4 household items
wx blue sky.JPG
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CASCADE, Mich. — Looking for a fun activity to do at home with your kids? This science experiment is fun for all ages and teaches the age-old question, why the sky is blue?

Meteorologist Isabella Hulsizer visited third graders at Pine Ridge Elementary to work with the students on these experiments.

Looking to join in on the fun from home? Here's what you'll need:

1. A glass
2. Water
3. Milk
4. A flashlight

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Put water into a glass.
Step 2: Pour a drop of milk into the glass.
Step 3: Take the flashlight and put it up to the glass.
Step 4: Watch as the milk and water has a blue tint.

This experiment highlights wavelengths that a visible to the human eye. The glass of water is the atmosphere, and the flashlight represents the sun. Visible light consists of colors of the rainbow, each has a wavelength. Blue and violet are the shortest. The longer wavelengths of light move through the gases in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the shorter wavelengths of light, like the blues, get scattered and bounced around which makes the color visible to our eyes. The milk represents the gasses in the atmosphere which scatters the blue for us to see!