In Science this afternoon, our future scientists discovered the importance of the sun as the ultimate energy source for all life on Earth. They also learned about the various ways in which exposure to the sun can be dangerous for humans. We made a prediction first on what might happen to the ultraviolet beads with no suncream or a lower SPF. These beads contain a special chemical that changes colour when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV is an invisible type of light from the Sun. The results from this investigation showed the ultra violet beads with SPF 15 had some protection. Some of the beads changed colour in the sunlight, but others stayed the same, showing that the SPF 15 didn’t fully protect them.
The beads covered in SPF 30 had much better protection. Most of the beads stayed white, but a few changed colour.
The beads with SPF 50 stayed fully protected and didn’t change colour at all when in the sun.
When the beads with no SPF cream were exposed to the sun, they changed colour straight away. The light made the beads react quickly because they had no protection. Year 3 learnt, while sunlight is essential for many natural processes and for our health, overexposure to the sun's UV radiation can have harmful effects on our skin, eyes, and overall health.
To stay safe while enjoying the sun, it's important to take measures to protect yourself from harmful UV radiation.