Hostess. Well, Professor, You Had Mentioned Color Earlier . . . How Does That Work?

Audition Piece

Hostess. Well, Professor, you had mentioned color earlier . . . how does that work?

Host. Yes, of course. Light that appears to be white is actually made up of all of the colors of the rainbow…each color corresponds to a different wavelength of the electromagnetic wave. This can be seen when the white light passes through a prism which bends the wavelengths of light making them visible due to each wavelength moving at a different speed through the medium of the prism glass. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

Hostess. But I can’t see those colors in the light……How do you know that they’re there?

Host. (Looking surprised and confused) Why, everyone knows that they’re in there. Maybe you need glasses.

Hostess. Is that what these glasses are for? Holds up glasses that were distributed to the audience when they came in

Host. (Holding up a pair of the glasses) Now you have to know that these are not just any glasses….They’re Diffraction Grating Glasses.

[Glasses demo – candle, light bulb, neon tube]

Host They act like prisms and separate the light into different colors. Put them on and let’s look at some different emitters. If you look at this white light up here, you can actually see a rainbow around it, you can see all the colors that make up the white light. (to Hostess) Would you light a candle for me?. (lights candle) As you can see again, even the candle is made up of several different colors of the rainbow.

I also have some neon signs here, now everyone here has probably seen neon signs on buildings or restaurants. Neon signs are basically glass tubes with gas inside. By electrifying the gas it makes the gas glow. (turning on yellow sign) Now if you look at the first light with just your eyes without your glasses you see that it is yellow. But if you put your glasses on you will see that it is made up of several different colors. (to audience) What are some of the colors that we see? I also have a purple sign here (turning on purple) and finally a red sign. (turning on red). Each has different wavelengths and color.

Hostess. So is all light made up of different wavelengths and colors?

Host. Yes, that’s exactly right (pauses to think) well, except for the light emitted by a LASER. A laser emits only one color of light. (pulls out a laser pointer)

Hostess. Wow, can I have that? I could point it at passing cars and people and ….

Host (Loudly) No!