All of us enjoy the abundant beauty of nature around us. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of us and we may love to capture it perfectly in our mind. Unfortunately, we might not always get the clarity we hope for. A pinhole camera makes it possible for us to not just see things, but also adjust the sharpness of the image with the change in the size of the hole. Light rays from the top and bottom of the object intersect at the pinhole and converge to pass through the hole. This results in the formation of the inverted image because of the rectilinear propagation of light. As fancy as it may sound, it is surprisingly easy to make one. Let's start making!
Jump to Instructions
Time Needed:
45 mins
Materials Required:
2 cardboard boxes
Black Paper
Transparent sheet
Glue
Scissors
Pencil/Pen & Ruler
White paper
Oil
Concept(s) Taught:
Linear propagation of light | Light & different objects(Transparent, Opaque and Translucent)
Skill(s) Focussed:
Frugal innovation | Creativity
Aligned Profession(s):
Photography | Physicist | Material Scientist & Engineer
Instruction Video:
Special Instructions for Teachers:
Optics
Educate the students about the behaviour and different properties of light and also the interaction of light with matter. Help the students recall the difference between opaque, transparent and translucent objects.
Working of Pinhole Camera vs. Functioning of Human Eyes
Talk about how the functioning of a pinhole camera is very similar to that of human eyes. The light passes through the pinhole of the camera and projects the image upside-down. Similarly, the lens produces an inverted image on the retina of the human eye. This image is then flipped by the brain. Also, discuss the principle of a pinhole camera (light travels in a straight line) and why it forms an inverted image.
Applications & Real Life Examples
Point out the uses of a pinhole camera in observing a solar eclipse, movement of the sun, etc. Push students to find out other examples (Virupaksha Temple, Hampi is known to have a pinhole camera system) in real life.
Resource Efficiency
Encourage students to try ways to make the camera more optimal with fewer resources.
Have fun making and share the works of your students with the hashtag #projectprayogshala to get featured!