Refractive Index
Light Sound and Waves
Invisible Bowl
Enrichment Activity for 5-11 11-14
- Level Elementary
What you need
- A large Pyrex® bowl
- A small Pyrex® bowl
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Pour enough vegetable oil into the large Pyrex® bowl so you’ll be able to completely submerge the small bowl in it
- Carefully lower the small bowl into the vegetable oil
- The small bowl disappears as it gets covered in oil!
Results and Explanation
The refractive index of Pyrex® glass is the same as that for vegetable oil so as light passes through the glass of both bowls and the oil it doesn’t bend – refract – at all and you can’t see the small bowl.
