Emily+Diemer

= = Artistic Physics The Physics behind KALEIDOSCOPES!

The physics behind kaleidoscopes consists of three main ideas: the Law of Reflection, angles and images, and gravity.
==== In order to understand the connection to physics we must first know what kaleidoscopes are made of. Kaleidoscopes are basically just a tube with an eye-piece at one end and an "object box" at the other. The object box contains an arrangement of mirrors, typically in a triangular shape, with random reflective objects of your choice (beads, tinsel, fragments of colored glass, etc.) moving freely within. Attached must be a wheel or some device capable of turning the object box when one looks through the eye-piece. As one looks through the eye-peice toward a light source, the mirrors produce symmetrical images out of the objects moving freely within and multiplies the image a number of times to create the dazzling images known to kaleidoscopes alone. ====



==== The light approaching the mirror is the "incident ray," while the light that leaves the mirror, or is reflected off of it, is the "reflected ray." Where the incident ray strikes the mirror, a perpendicular line can be drawn to the surface of the mirror, called the "normal line." The purpose of this normal line is to divide the angle of incident (the angle between the incident ray and the normal line) and the angle of reflection (the angle between the reflected ray and the normal line) into two equal angles. The Law of Reflection states that when a ray of light reflects off a mirror, the angle of incident is equal to the angle of reflection. ==== ==== What does this all mean? In order to see an objects reflection, your sight must create a straight line to the object. Therefore, the angles of the mirrors in a kaleidoscope are vital to the quality of the kaleidoscope. ====



**Angles and Images:**
==== Due to this Law of Reflection described above, the placement of the mirrors is critical to the kaleidoscope. Three mirrors are typically placed in a triangular arrangement, but the more mirrors used creates more images. Regardless of how many mirrors are used, the angle of the mirrors must be even dividers of 360 to create the clearest image. ==== ==== Different angles of mirrors create different views through the kaleidoscope. 90 degrees, 60 degrees, 45 degrees, and 30 degrees are popular choices. 90 degree angles create 4 fold symmetry, 60 degrees creates 6 fold, 45 degrees creates 8 fold, and 30 degrees creates 12 fold symmetry. ====

**Gravity:**
====Gravity is what allows the same kaleidoscope containing the same objects to create an infinite number of differing images. As you turn a kaleidoscope, gravity pulls the beads to the bottom most section, causing the beads to re-arrange. Due to this rearrangement, different objects are reflecting off of different mirrors at different angles, and thus creating completely different images!====

**Physics Topic Categories:** Light (Law of Reflection & Angles and Images), Gravity


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