Written by Haritha Sridhar
How many of us get excited looking at the mirror & making sure we look good before we step out of our homes? Almost all of us right? But did you know mirrors can actually help us win wars as well? Oh yes! For a very long time sailors, pilots & the military used the simple mirrors to win wars๐
Can you guess how this could be possible?
We are talking about the amazing periscope today. A periscope is an optical instrument that uses a system of prisms, lenses or mirrors to reflect images through a tube.
We are not just going to talk about it, but also make one ourselves - it's that simple!
Jump to Instructions
Time Needed:
45 mins
Materials Required:
Cardboard
Scissors
Glue
Old & used CDs
Sketch pens
Pencil & ruler
Concept(s) Taught:
Principle of Reflection | Light
Skill(s) Focussed:
Teamwork | Problem Solving | Critical Thinking | Frugal Innovation
Aligned Profession(s):
Sailors | Helmsman (submarine driver) | Co-pilots (warplanes) | Engineering Technician
Instruction Video:
Special Instructions for Teachers:
Principle of Periscope
Explain the working of a periscope to the students. A periscope works on the Laws of Reflection where the light from an object you are focussing falls on one mirror at a 45-degree angle from the object and is reflected. This reflected light then falls on another mirror and is again reflected until it reaches your eyes.
What is the actual use of a Periscope?
Generally, periscopes help us see & observe things that are not exactly in our line of sight. It makes it possible for us to not just see things that are right in front of us but also helps us get a complete view of things above, below & sideways, all this without having to keep moving our sight ๐
For example, periscopes allow a submarine at war, when submerged at a relatively shallow depth, to search visually for nearby targets, enemies and threats on the surface of the water and in the air.
Oh, and yes... you can also use it to see the birds flying above you when you take a walk in the park or playground nearby & dodge any bird droppings ๐
Safety pre-requisites
This activity will involve:
Cutting a used CD with scissors. This could be a little hard for children to handle if not instructed well. Make sure you have a lookout during this step & let them know that a CD's edges are relatively sharp after it is cut.
Ensure the children dispose of the remaining cut out CD bits properly into waste bins since these might be sharp enough to hurt & cause cuts if careless.
Have fun making and share the works of your students with the hashtag #projectprayogshala to get featured!