Is there really more than one black? Although your crayon box may tell you otherwise, some blacks are, well, blacker than others! Discover the cutting-edge technology at work to produce the blackest black possible with a video from the American Chemical Society's Reactions series. Topics include how our eyes determine colors, uses for super-black coatings, and the blackness of black holes.

Concepts

colors, wavelength, visible light, photons, pigments, carbon, the color black, black holes, sense of vision

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• The video works well with lessons on visible light, color, or technology
• Pause the video when it shows samples of the blackest black to allow the class to see the difference between it and ordinary black-colored items
  

Classroom Considerations

• Try putting a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum on the board to give pupils some reference during the video

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The content is intriguing and presented in an upbeat manner
• Explanation of how color is perceived is spot-on

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2