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When something is so small you can barely see it, how do you find out what it is? Why, use a magnifying glass, of course! In this week’s Saturday Science experiment, found on education.com, discover the magic of magnifiers with just a drop of water.
Materials
- 2 by 3 inch piece of cardboard
- One-inch square piece of thin, clear plastic
- Pair of scissors
- Tape
- Water
- Spoon
- Newspaper
Process
- Carefully cut a dime-sized hole in the middle of the cardboard.
- Set the clear piece of plastic over the hole and tape it down. Tape it around the edges, without covering the hole.
- Fold each end of the cardboard down 1/4 inch.
- Dip the tip of the spoon in the water. Hold the spoon directly over the center of the hole, and let one drop of water fall onto the plastic.
- Set a piece of newspaper with print on the table.
- Carefully lift the magnifier and set it down on top of the paper.
- Look straight down through the top of the water drop.
Results
When you looked through your magnifier did the printing on the paper appear to be magnified?
Yes!
A magnifying glass works because its shape bends the light waves passing through it. As the light waves leave the other side of the lens, it bends them so that they start traveling outward. By the time the light waves hit your eye, they’re much more spread out, and the thing you’re looking at appears larger.
The water droplet in this experiment is doing the same thing! As it sits on the clear plastic, it takes a shape similar to the lens in a magnifying glass, and it spreads out the light before it reaches your eye.
Want more Saturday Science? See all of our at-home activities on the blog or on Pinterest.
