Make your own Spectrometer Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments: Comments 4 You will need: Spectrometer Template Cardboard Scissors Glue or Sticky tape CD or DVD Optional: Box cutter Adult help Written by Fizzics Education. Reviewed by Ben Newsome CF. Cite this experiment Copyright Notice Instruction 1 Print out the spectrometer template. Using the glue, stick the template onto the cardboard. 2 Cut the template out as shown in the image. 3 Get adult help for this step. Cut the CD into the shape onto the template. Be careful when cutting the CD so that the reflective part does not peel off. Now glue down the CD onto the template where it says insert CD here. 4 Cut a thin slit where it says “cut slit” on the template using the scissors. Optional: With an adult, you may find it easier to use a box cutter instead of scissors, but either works. 5 Fold on all the hard lines upwards as shown in the picture. 6 Fold the base into a box without the lid, you can either glue where it says “paste”, however we find that sticky tape is stronger. 7 Fold the lid and place it on top, ensure there is a gap left between the side closest to the CD, this will be the observation point to look through. Now tape or glue the sides together. 8 To test your spectrometer put the slit in front of a light and look through the gap you should be able to see a unique light pattern for different sources of light. Danger – don’t look at the Sun! 9 Look at different artificial light sources. This picture is from a 4000K LED light source. Danger – don’t look at the Sun! 10 School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too! 11 Online courses for teachers & parents – Help students learn how science really works 12 Get the Unit of Work on Light & Colour here! What is colour addition vs subtraction? What is opacity, translucence & transparency? What is the difference between refraction & reflection? Explore UV light, lenses, thermochromism and more! Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more What is going on? The Science of Spectrometry A CD has tiny grooves that are invisible to the eye. When light is shined on these grooves, the CD acts as a diffraction grating, separating the light through reflections into the visible coloured spectrum. Using the spectrometer, the light enters through the slit and is separated into its component colours which are viewed on the surface of the CD. These colours have important properties; they can determine the chemical composition of the light source, the addition of specific wavelengths, and even show the surface temperature of the light. The study of spectrometry goes all the way back to the 1600s, when Isaac Newton first discovered that white light could be split into all the colours of the rainbow. Since then, we’ve found that different light sources produce unique patterns, known as spectral signatures, depending on the nature of the source and its temperature. The table below shows how different sources of light have different intensities of colours. Source: https://physics.stackexchange.com/ Using this spectrometer on different light sources Halogen spectral lines 6500k compact fluorescent lamp Applications Astronomers use spectrometry to gather information when observing distant stars. Because each chemical element has its own unique spectral pattern (like a fingerprint), astronomers can determine a star’s element composition simply by looking at these colours. They can also determine the star’s surface temperature, density, and even its rotational velocity using these patterns. Learn more about spectrometry here. Variables to explore More about variables. Light Sources Explore a range of sources such as LEDs, fluorescent globes, candles, streetlights, and old halogen globes. How do the spectral lines differ? Surface Temperature Explore globes with different temperature ratings (e.g., Warm White vs. Cool White). Smart Globes If you have an RGB smart globe, explore the patterns you see when you change it to specific colours like red, green, or blue. âś… Reviewed: April 5, 2026 APA 7 Citation: Fizzics Education. (2020). Make your own spectrometer. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/150-science-experiments/light-sound-experiments/make-your-own-spectrometer/ Copy APA Citation Reviewer This resource was last reviewed for scientific accuracy on April 5, 2026. Ben Newsome CF is the recipient of the 2023 UTS Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and a Churchill Fellow. He is a global leader in science communication and the founder of Fizzics Education. Learn more! Light & Colour Years 1 to 6 Maximum 30 students Workshop or Show (NSW & VIC) 60 or 90 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now Be Amazing! How to teach science, the way primary kids love. $29.95 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot ...tick, tick BOOM! Years 7 to 10 Maximum 240 students Science show (NSW & VIC only) 60 minutes Read More Enquire Now
Get adult help for this step. Cut the CD into the shape onto the template. Be careful when cutting the CD so that the reflective part does not peel off. Now glue down the CD onto the template where it says insert CD here.
Cut a thin slit where it says “cut slit” on the template using the scissors. Optional: With an adult, you may find it easier to use a box cutter instead of scissors, but either works.
Fold the base into a box without the lid, you can either glue where it says “paste”, however we find that sticky tape is stronger.
Fold the lid and place it on top, ensure there is a gap left between the side closest to the CD, this will be the observation point to look through. Now tape or glue the sides together.
To test your spectrometer put the slit in front of a light and look through the gap you should be able to see a unique light pattern for different sources of light. Danger – don’t look at the Sun!
Look at different artificial light sources. This picture is from a 4000K LED light source. Danger – don’t look at the Sun!
School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too!
Get the Unit of Work on Light & Colour here! What is colour addition vs subtraction? What is opacity, translucence & transparency? What is the difference between refraction & reflection? Explore UV light, lenses, thermochromism and more! Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more
Light & Colour Years 1 to 6 Maximum 30 students Workshop or Show (NSW & VIC) 60 or 90 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now
Years 1 to 6 Maximum 30 students Workshop or Show (NSW & VIC) 60 or 90 minutes Online Class Available
STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now
Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials.
Be Amazing! How to teach science, the way primary kids love. $29.95 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot
...tick, tick BOOM! Years 7 to 10 Maximum 240 students Science show (NSW & VIC only) 60 minutes Read More Enquire Now
The template in the link is nothing like whats in the pictures. The link’s template seems to be all one piece and the one in the pictures is two pieces. Very confusing. Reply
Hi Wynn, Thanks for commenting! The PDF template has been updated by the university which has caused the confusion (the above photos were from a different template). The good news is that the instructions for the other template are all on that sheet and are designed to be made without two separate pieces of paper. We’ll update our pictures soon. Much appreciated! Reply
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