Copy the angle template. Put the bead between the mirrors. How many beads do you see? How many beads now? Extensions Have students make their own angle templates.
Draw a thick line, and put it in the mirror book as shown. Identify the shapes you see with the mirrors at different angles. Related Resources Kaleidoscopes In this activity, students construct their own kaleidoscope by making an enclosure with mirrors that reflect images of colourful objects such as….
Mirrors How we see certain objects depends on how the surrounding light rays interact with them: Light can be reflected,…. Colour and Light How are rainbows made? Objectives Describe how light rays can change direction. Demonstrate how visible light is reflected. Materials Per Student: 3 mirrors 4.
What To Do Assemble the three pre-cut mirrors with the reflective sides facing inward to form a triangular tube. Use elastic bands or a friend to hold the mirrors in place while you securely tape them together around the outside of the tube.
Remove the elastic bands. Cover one end of the tube with plastic wrap, pulling it taut and taping it firmly around the perimeter of the tube.
Wrap a strip of lightweight card stock around the same end of the tube, making sure it extends a few millimetres beyond the top. Secure it tightly with tape.
Add colourful beads, sequins, sparkles, paper, etc. Do not overfill. There should be room for the beads to tumble around. The more precisely the mirrors or reflective surfaces are joined together, the more precise the resulting symmetrical images will be.
In a two-mirror kaleidoscope, a degree wedge has 11 reflections [source: Staub ]. If the original wedge is at the very top at 12 o'clock on a clock face , the reflections on its right and left 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock are the first reflections of the original image. Given the way light hits a mirror and reflects away at the same angle, a blue bead placed at the right-hand edge of the original wedge would appear in the same position on the left-hand edges of the first set of reflections.
The reflections at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock are the second set of reflections; the blue bead appears on the right-hand edges of these wedges. The third set of reflections 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock shows the blue bead back on the left-hand edge.
The blue bead appears on the right-hand edge in the fourth set of reflections 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock. And it appears on the left-hand edges in the fifth set of reflections 7 o'clock and 5 o'clock. The final reflection 6 o'clock shows the bead once again on the right-hand edge. The way the object reflections move from side to side and combine with others in this symmetrical dance form the patterns that make kaleidoscopes so delightful.
The two-mirror construction creates a design of wedge reflections filling degrees with a black background. Three or more mirrors will result in a design that fills the entire space with even more intricate geometric patterns and their seemingly endless reflections. For example, three mirrors create a series of complex triangular reflections.
The mirror angle affects the pattern. Because the objects in the kaleidoscope move -- usually after you shake them or rotate the object container -- they never are arranged exactly the same way a second time, and no two designs will ever be perfectly identical. Light reflecting off a mirror is often compared to a bouncing ball. Imagine that you drop a ball straight down; it will bounce straight back at you. If you toss the ball so it hits the ground a short distance in front of you, though, it will bounce off the ground at the same angle in the opposite direction.
Light behaves the same way. Using this principle, it would be possible -- if one wanted -- to pre-determine what image will be displayed when an object is reflected by an angled mirror. Evidence shows that pieces of polished obsidian a volcanic glass were used as mirrors as long as 8, years ago [source: Enoch ].
Mirrors reflected sunlight or fire in early lighthouses , and there's a record of a possible optical illusion by an ancient Egyptian magician involving a mirror. By the 17th century, the "Hall of Mirrors" -- an ornate corridor with mirrors -- in the Palace of Versailles became a display of French glory. Mirrors also may have helped achieve symmetry in planning ornamental gardens, a step in the direction toward the kaleidoscope.
By the early 19th century, the stage was set for this new device that turned utilitarian mirrors into fun. In the early s, scientists were exploring concepts of light and optics, while improving technologies also allowed the middle classes to devote more time and resources to leisure activities.
Devices known as philosophical toys became a form of amusement that did double duty by sharing scientific advances while entertaining the masses.
In , Scotsman Dr. David Brewster was the first to arrange mirrors and objects in a tube and call it a kaleidoscope. Not just a toy, the device also was intended for use by designers and artists, who might be inspired by the beautiful patterns they could create.
Brewster patented his invention in Kaleidoscope technology made its next leap forward in That's when American Charles Bush patented several improvements.
He added a stand that could be easily disassembled for portability and a rotating wheel to expand the variety of possible designs. Perhaps Bush's most ingenious advance, though, came in the form of special ampoules. An ampoule is a small, sealed glass vial often holding medicine. Tiny ampoules already had been used as objects in some kaleidoscopes. Bush's patent specified ampules with "two or more liquids of different densities or character, or a liquid with a solid or solids.
This allowed for even more intricate designs [source: Bush ]. Entertainment hit the high-tech big-time over the next century. Radio , motion pictures and television pushed kaleidoscopes mainly into children's hands.
That is, until an exhibition at Maryland's Strathmore Hall Arts Center in included more than kaleidoscopes and drew great interest. Establishment of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society for kaleidoscope enthusiasts soon followed.
Today, the society lists about kaleidoscope artists among its members. They're busily turning the philosophical toys into unique art. On the next page, we'll take a look at the wide range of materials and types of kaleidoscopes available today.
You'll see that kaleidoscopes have come a long way in years. The kaleidoscope wasn't the only philosophical toy that entertained and enlightened people in the 19th century. Some others included:. Today, Dr. Brewster's invention is available in a wide range of prices -- from a dollar or so for cheap party favors to tens of thousands of dollars for hand-crafted collectibles.
The materials used to make the bodies vary widely accordingly. Some common materials used include cardboard, wood, metals brass is common , glass clear glass, stained glass and more and plastic.
You're probably most familiar with the tube-shaped kaleidoscope, which resembles a spyglass or telescope. However, barrel shapes are common as well. In addition, some are conical, and other free-form designs defy description. Some are fitted with stands and others are hand-held. You could buy a miniature kaleidoscope made into a necklace or a two-sided kaleidoscope that allows you and a friend to view the same design from opposite sides. When you look into a kaleidoscope, there's no telling what objects could be making the striking pattern you see.
Even boring, everyday items can become exciting art when introduced to a kaleidoscope. Typical objects might include colored glass pieces, beads,buttons, ribbon pieces, ampoules as described previously , confetti, glitter, "found" items and natural items like feathers or flowers. Some special kaleidoscopes, called teleidoscopes, don't include objects at all. You look through clear glass at the end of the tube and see a design created by reflections of your own surroundings. Object holders can be several different designs.
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