8 Paint lab

By Roxanne Moses

Provided by Kenan Fellows Program.

In this lab, students create colors for their car designs. Students must precisely record the formula for their color creations so that others could replicate the color exactly.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Learn about the properties and importance of different types of paint
• Create their own paint formulas
• Gain experience and comfort in public speaking
• Work together as a team on their car designs

Teacher planning

Time required

one class period

Materials needed

• tongue depressors
• paints: three primary colors, white, black
• measuring spoons
• paintbrushes
• sandpaper

Student handouts

Pre-activities

At this point in the unit, the cars should be nearing completion and ready for paint. You may need to allow an extra day of work time before beginning this lesson if students are not ready.

Assemble lab materials for student groups before class begins.

Activities

1. Group Six will present the Properties of Paint expert interview.
2. Explain to students that today they will determine a paint scheme for their cars. When they get the right mix, they will paint their cars and record the formula or color recipe for each color. They must use at least two colors. Another group will test the formulas to see if they can replicate the colors. If groups have time after completing the lab, they can paint sponsor logos on your car.
3. Distribute the lab sheets and materials. Give students about twenty minutes to mix and record their paint colors. Then assign groups to exchange formulas for testing. Allow ten minutes for testing.
4. Circulate and ask questions of each team during the process as to how they determined their color selections. What was most difficult about obtaining their selected colors? What role does the addition of black and white play in color? Where else is precision measurement important? How did they determine where colors would be located?
5. Once testing is complete, have students answer the questions on the lab sheet.
6. Students can spend any free time during lab painting logos on their cars.
7. During the last five minutes of class have students take the short quiz.

Assessment

Students will take a very short quiz at the end of class. Check answers for understanding. Possible answers to the questions are listed below.

1. A team designs a paint color and gives you the paint formula. Suppose that when you use the formula, the paint color doesn’t match the original. List three different possible errors that could have occurred.

   Possible answers:

   • The first team didn’t accurately measure and document the colors used to create the paint.
   • The first team didn’t record the formula correctly.
   • The second team didn’t measure the ingredients correctly.
   • The second team didn’t use the right colors in their mixture.
   • The teams painted different surfaces, such as one team painting the color on wood while the other painted on paper or plastic. Colors can appear different when painted on different surfaces. A similar possibility is if one group painted on a light surface and the other painted on a dark surface.

2. If you were going to try to create a paint that was very difficult to copy, how would you do that?

   Possible answers:

   • Include a large number of different colors in the formula.
   • Don’t use the same quantity of each of the different colors, vary the quantity of each color.
   • Paint the background a light or dark color and then apply the designed color.

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