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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Using a lens to bend light

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Using a lens to bend light

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  5–6


How can a water-filled plastic straw be used to decode a secret message?

In this science experiment the Surfing Scientist demonstrates how lenses with a curved surface do curious things to light.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Have you ever used a lens to look at an object or image? Perhaps you wear glasses or have used a magnifying glass? How did the lens change the way the object or image appeared?
  2. 2.Watch how the straw is filled with water. How does the technique ensure that no air is trapped inside? The Surfing Scientist compares his Secret Code Decoder with Elliot's glasses. What can the decoder do to an image that Elliot's glasses do not?
  3. 3.What if you used the Secret Code Decoder on the words FAN and BED? Predict how would they appear. Why would they appear that way? See if you can use the term 'vertical symmetry' in your explanation?
  4. 4.Can you predict whether the Secret Code Decoder would work if it was empty, i.e. not filled with water? You might like to try it. Can you explain your observations? It could be helpful to research the term 'refraction'.


Production Date: 2008


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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