Reflection Activities

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Mirror Magic

Mirror Magic

 Use Plasticine to fix a comb, with its teeth pointing upwards, just in front of a board or box-lid. Aim the comb at the sun - but do not look at the sun. Let white light shine through the teeth, to form parallel (side-by-side) rays, making white lines. Notice how light usually travels in straight lines. That is why light casts shadows, and why you cannot normally see around corners.

Hold a plane mirror, with its edge touching the board, in the path of the rays. Observe how the mirror reflects them. Angles formed with the mirror before and after reflection are always equal. This helps to explain how you see yourself in a plane mirror.

Mirror Magic

 Rays from points A and B travel to the mirror, where they are reflected back to your eyes. You do not sense that the rays are bouncing off the mirror. Your brain believes that they are coming from points A1 and B1 (that seem to be behind or "inside" the mirror).

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To Make Mirror-Writing

Put carbon paper, carbon side up, on a magazine. Use an inkless ball pen to write a message on paper which you have put over the carbon. Read the writing by looking at its image in a mirror.

Carbon Paper!

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Funny Faces

Is your face symmetrical? Find a photograph of yourself which shows your whole face from the front. Hold a mirror down the middle of the photograph. Look at both sides of your face. Does your face look strange?

Funny Faces

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Mirror Painting

  1. To make a symmetrical painting, you will need: newspaper, plain paper, poster paints, jar of water, paintbrush, apron.
  2. Put on the apron and lay some newspaper on a table or on the floor so you won't make a mess.
  3. Mix several different colors with the poster paints. Make each color fairly thick.
  4. Use the brush to drop or brush paint onto one side
  5. Fold the paper over and press down to smooth out of the paper.

Mirror Painting 1

Mirror Painting 2

What happens

When you open the paper, you will have a painting that is the same on both sides, just as if you were looking in a mirror.

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Bouncing Back

When light hits a smooth surface, it always bounces back at a matching angle. To see how this works, try this test.

You will need: a large mirror, two cardboard tubes, a flashlight, some books.

  1. Use the books to prop the mirror upright.
  2. Hold one tube at an angle with the end touching the mirror.
  3. Ask a friend to hold the second tube at a matching angle.
  4. Shine the flashlight into the tube you are holding.

Bouncing Back

What happens

When the tubes are at the correct angle, the light will bounce off the mirror and down to the end of the second tube. If your friend holds her hand at the end of the tube, she will see a circle of reflected light. On a rough surface, light is not reflected like this. It is scattered back in several different directions.

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Make a Kaleidoscope

The word "kaleidoscope" means "beautiful to look at." If you make a kaleidoscope, you will be able to see lots of beautiful symmetrical patterns.

You will need: stiff cardboard, a pencil, scissors, black paper or a thick black felt pen, aluminum foil, glue, clear plastic, tracing paper, cellophane tape, small colored shapes or beads.

Card 9 x 6 inches

Foil and black panels inside

Blank panel

Tape down the edge

  1. With an adult's help, cut out a piece of cardboard about 9 inches by 6 inches.
  2. With the pencil, divide the card into four equal strips. Each strip should be 1{ inches wide.
  3. Ask an adult to help you score the lines so the cardboard is easier to fold.
  4. Stick foil over two of the panels. Make sure it is as smooth as possible.
  5. Stick black paper over the third panel or color it black.
  6. Leave the fourth panel blank.
  7. Fold the cardboard to make a triangular shape and tape the side to hold it in place.

K-Scope 1

  1. Stick a piece of clear plastic over each end of your kaleidoscope.
  2. Put the colored shapes or beads over one piece of plastic and stick some tracing paper over the top. Leave enough room for the shapes to slide about.
  3. Hold your kaleidoscope over a bright light.

K-Scope 2

What happens

The light bounces back and forth between the foil mirrors. The reflections of the colored shapes or beads make interesting patterns. To change the pattern, shake your kaleidoscope so the shapes or beads move into new positions.

 

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