What you will need
- Wax paper
- Safety pin
- Safety pin
- Paper cup
- Rubber band
How The Eye Works
In this experiment, with the help of a trusted adult, we are going to investigate how eyes work
Instructions
- Ask a trusted adult to poke a small hole in the centre of the bottom of the paper cup using the safety pin.
- Place a piece of the wax paper over the mouth of the cup.
- Use the rubber band to hold the wax paper in place.
- Point the bottom of the paper cup at a bright light from about two to three feet away.
- Slowly walk toward the light. You should soon see an image of the light bulb appear upside down on the wax paper.
What Is Happening?
Light enters our eyes through our pupils after it reflects off of an object. The light then makes its way through the different parts of the eye and produces an image that is upside down on the retina. The image then travels to our brain through the optic nerve. Our brain compensates by reversing the image so that it is the right side up so we do not see an upside down image. In a pinhole viewer, the light enters through the small pinhole we made in the bottom of the cup. This is similar to the way the light enters the eye through the pupil. The light creates an image on the wax paper, similar to the way that light creates an image on the retina of the eye. Our pinhole viewer lacks a ‘brain’ to correct the image, so it will appear upside down on the wax paper.
