Interference Acrylics: Painting with Structural Color

NISE Network product
Description
In this activity, students learn about structural color while exploring interference paints. Students compare interference acrylic paints to normal acrylic paints. Students also observe how the color of the paint changes when it’s applied to different paper, or viewed from a different angle.
Product category
Short Activities
Programs and Activities
Long Activities
K-12 Lesson Plans
Audience
Ages 4 - Adult
Topics
Nanotechnology
Engineering and Technology
Light and Optics
Physical Sciences
Art, Music, and Literature
Societal Topics

Objectives

Big Idea

Many of the colors we see are due to pigments or dyes, but other colors are due to the way light interacts with particular structures. Artists and engineers take advantage of structural color to engineer specific colors and aesthetics.

Learning Goals

Learn how pigments and dyes make materials appear colored


Learn what structural color is

Learn what interference paints are made of

Learn why the background color affects the color of interference paints

Nano Content Map
Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.
Scientists and engineers have formed the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology by investigating properties and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.
Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering lead to new knowledge and innovations that weren't possible before.

Credits

Funding

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143 and for University of California Berkeley with funding from the National Science Foundation under award Number 1055938. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Owning institution

University of California, Berkeley

Permissions
Other Institution (for Linked products)
Development Process
NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.
Project
Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network