9781422284971

Try It Yourself

Imagine using a magnifying glass to make a picture. Impossible? Not so. All you need are a few simple materials and a dark room. Try this simple activity and see the power of lenses.

Materials:

• magnifying glass • dark room • sheet of white paper • bright window or TV screen

1. This activity works best at night, or in a room that you can make dark.

2. Hold the white sheet of paper a couple of feet away from the light source (a lamp or a television). Have a partner hold the magnifying glass between the light and the paper.

3. When the lens is at just the right distance away from the paper, you’ll see an image that the light source projects onto the paper.

4. If it doesn’t work right away try moving the magnifying glass or the paper until you see the image.

5. What does it look like? What is this called?

**Careful! Don’t try this using sunlight. The image of the sunlight on the paper could become very hot.

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