Virtual Kaleidoscope

Maybe you haven't gotten around to building your own kaleidoscope yet. You can still have kaleido-fun by checking out this website, which lets you design your own kaleido-show!

Make A Kaleidoscope!

Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? Do you know what makes all of those beautiful patterns you see? Maybe you've already guessed that it's all done with mirrors!

Here are instructions on how to make a simple kaleidoscope:

What you'll need:

Three rectangular mirrors of the same size

Cardboard tube that the mirrors will fit into (same length as the mirrors)

Foam peanuts (optional)

Tape

Clear plastic wrap (4 inches or 10 cm square)

Wax paper (4 inches or 10 cm square)

Rubber band

Small beads, sequins, or scraps of colorful paper

Tape the three mirrors together (reflective sides facing in) on the long sides to make a trianglar mirror tube. Slide the triangle into the cardboard tube. If the mirrors are loose, pack some foam peanuts around them. Take a minute to look through the mirror tube at things in the room around you. How do they look?

Place one end of the tube on a table. Cover the open end with the clear plastic wrap, and push down to make a little pouch. Add the beads, sequins, or colored paper to the pouch, making sure that they don't fall into the tube. Put the piece of wax paper over the pouch, then fasten the plastic wrap and wax paper with a rubber band. Make sure that the colorful bits can move around. It's probably best to have someone help with this step. Hold the kaleidoscope up to one eye, and slowly turn the tube. Can you see all of the wonderful patterns?

You can trim the plastic wrap and wax paper, and decorate your kaleidoscope if you want.

Up, Periscope!

Have you ever seen a film about a submarine? Do you know how do the sailors in the sub look around above the water surface? They use a periscope - a long tube containing mirrors arranged so that, when you look into one end, you see the reflection of whatever the other end is pointing at!

It's really pretty easy to make your own periscope. There's some measuring and cutting involved, so you need to get some adults involved.

What you'll need:
Periscope body pattern (download PDF file here)
Cardboard (posterboard is OK)
Scissors
Ruler
Tape
2 small square mirrors that fit into your periscope (buy these after you make the periscope body)

Enlarge the periscope body pattern and transfer it to the cardboard. Make two holes where the white squares are located. Cut narrow slits where the heavy black lines are shown (slits must make a 45^o angle with the side of the periscope). Lightly score the cardboard along the red lines to make it easier to fold.

Fold the pattern to form a long rectangular tube and tape is closed. It should look more or less like the picture at right. Find two mirrors that will slide into one slit, across the tube, and out the slit on the other side. Insert the bottom mirror with the reflective side facing up. Insert the top mirror with the reflective side down. Use tape to hold the mirrors in place. If you look into either square hole, you should be able to see a reflection.

To use the periscope, look into the bottom hole while holding it straight up. You won't be able to see directly ahead, but will see things that are higher up than your eyes. When you hold the periscope upright, you can even see over walls or tall people's heads! When you hold it sideways, you can peek around corners! Take your periscope outside or use it around the house, and see what you can see!

"Objects in the Mirror Are Closer..."

Have you ever noticed that the passenger-side mirror on most cars says "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"? But the mirror on the driver's side doesn't have the same warning! What's up with that?

The simple answer is that the two mirrors aren't the same. Try this - go stand next to a car on the driver's side (make sure the car isn't moving!!!). Stand about 12 inches away from the mirror and look at your reflection. Now move to the passenger side of the car and look in that mirror. Do you appear the same in both mirrors? No, you don't. That's because the driver's mirror is flat, but the passenger's mirror is curved. And curved mirrors do some funny things to reflections! Also notice that you see a lot more of the space around you in the curved mirror. That lets the driver get a better view of the whole road behind when he or she looks into the passenger-side mirror.

Have you ever seen fun-house mirrors at a fair or an amusement park? They often use curved mirrors to produce really comical effects!