PROJECT : Make a Kaleidoscope

Enjoy the beautiful colours and symmetrical patterns formed by a kaleidoscope? You can enjoy it more by making your very own kaleidoscope!

Understand how light bounces between the two mirrors of your kaleidoscope and have fun decorating it when finished.

What you'll need:

• 3 pieces of mirrored perspec

• A roll of duct tape or masking tape

• Overhead transparency paper

• Coloured see-through pastic

• A pencil

Instructions:

1. Take 3 pieces of mirrored perspex and tape them together to form a triangle shape. Make sure it's solid and the tape is on the outside of the triangle.

2. Trace around the small triangle at the end of the kaleidoscope onto the overhead transparecy paper. Add another 1cm around the triangle to allow folding.

3. Place tranparency paper onto the end of the kaleidoscope and cut slits at the corners so the edges can be folded down.

4. Tape the transparency paper into places.

5. Draw another triangle, making this 2cm bigger than the last.

6. Decide what kind of coloured see-through plastic you would like to put inside of the kaleidoscope. Cut out small pieces that will sit on top of the transparency paper.

7. Put the colored plastic over the end of the kaleidoscope that has the transparency paper, and on top of that add the other (slightly bigger) triangle transparency paper. Tape the second triangle down on top so that there is still just enough room for the plastic to move between the two transparencies

8. When your kaleidoscope is finished feel free to design and decorate a cover using cardboard, felt pens, glitter, tubing or anything else you want to use.

What's Happening?

The patterns inside your kaleidoscope are made by light bouncing between the mirrors on the inside. While you look through one end, light enters through the other and reflects off the mirrors. Varying colors and patterns are formed thanks to the symmetric pattern created by the well placed mirrors.