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Pringles Can Light Show

Shine a light inside a Pringles can with the clear lid on to show how light bursts through a transparent object. Then use a marker to darken the top and repeat the experiment with this opaque object.

Pringles Can Light Show

Materials

Empty Pringles can, with lid
Permanent marker
Small flashlight (it should be able to fit completely inside the can)

Instructions

Clean your Pringles can with a dry paper towel, then grab your flashlight, your child, and a permanent marker.
Turn the flashlight on, drop it in the can with the light facing up and put the lid on.
1. Talk about what happens! Can you see the light? Introduce the word transparent.
Take the flashlight out of the can, turn it off and set it aside for the next step.
Take the lid and use the permanent marker to color it completely. There should be no gaps at all in the coverage.
Repeat step two, turning the flashlight on, dropping it in the can with the light facing up and putting the lid on.
1. Talk about what happens now! Can you still see the light? Introduce the word opaque.
Talk about what changes were made to block the light from view.

Pringles Can Light Show

Why is this a great thing to do?

Introduces children to physics.

Develops their understanding of cause and effect.

Practices testing hypotheses.

Builds language skills.

Enhances fine motor skills.

Talk About

“What do you think will happen?”

“Do you think we’ll be able to see the light through the can?”

“Do you think you’ll still be able to see the light after we color the lid?”

“What new words did we learn today?”

Tips & Extensions

Don’t let your child know what the outcome of this experiment will be. Encourage them to predict and describe what will happen themselves!

What are some other transparent things that, at times, we want to be opaque and sometimes want to be translucent? (For example, some windows have curtains.) Talk about it. What objects do we always want to be transparent, or opaque?

Make STEM Connections

Help your child develop a more in-depth understanding of how light can go through transparent objects, but not opaque objects. We can only see things if a light shines on them, or they emit their own light.

Scavenger hunt.

Search your house for transparent and opaque items! Start the search without a flashlight to test things and put them in two piles. Once you have a few objects in each pile, work together to check them with light to see if they do belong where your child thought they did. Now is a great time to introduce the word translucent and explore the idea of semi-transparency.

Make a Pringle's pinhole camera.

Use another Pringles can to create a simple pinhole camera, which will allow your child to examine the way light bounces off objects to let us see them.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Correlation

1-PS4-3

Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect when placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

1-PS1-1

Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.