Explore properties of light by making a pinhole magnifier using simple materials and a light source.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about the type, size, location, and orientation of the image that forms when a thin lens is used to view an object using this interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a video tutorial are also...

The invention of magnifiers that allow us to see things that are otherwise invisible to us has revolutionized science. For this lesson, students use several types of magnifiers to investigate magnification, and record their observations....

A discussion of how to make a refraction exhibit using a Fresnel lens. Consists of assembly instructions and a "To do and notice" section.

This is an informative site from Georgia State University. It gives a discussion of the thin lens equation and an illustration of its use in determining the image distance based upon the object distance and the focal length.

Come explore with Elinor! Use the tools provided to observe your environment as you take a nature walk. What will you find?

To learn about the devastating effects of oil spills, students use magnifying lenses to examine feathers, and name and describe characteristics of the feathers.

Students using magnifying glasses to observe collected fossils, and then make inferences and hypotheses about the age of the specimens.

Biodiversity can be found in many places, including city parks. At this OLogy learning game site, players use a magnifying glass to find organisms that live there and also learn something about how each organism relates to others nearby.

Create and use a pinhole magnifier.

A discussion of how to make a magnifying lens exhibit using a water-filled flask and a light bulb. Consists of assembly instructions and a "To do and notice" section. Great for a teacher demonstration or a student project.

An experiment to invert a television image using a magnifying lens. Accompanied by an explanation of what's happening.

A solid chapter explanation of the wheel & axle simple machine. Examples, the basic math, explanation of mechanical advantage, drawings, solved problem. Use the Next button. There are four pages in this chapter.

Using household items, one can demonstrate "the forces of pressure and how it can affect other objects."

This lesson introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift...

A discussion of the lens-maker's formula and its use in determining the effect of lens shape and index of refraction upon the magnifying power of a lens. Includes an interactive problem-solving section.

Have you ever mixed together salt and pepper? Isn't it fun to see how all of those tiny grains of salt and pepper mix together. But what if you had to separate them out again? Do you have nightmares of tiny tweezers, a magnifying glass,...

In this biology investigation students will be asked to attempt to determine how many sections exist in an orange without having peeled it. Students will work in small cooperative groups. Each group will be able to use a small magnifying...

Take a closer look at a work of Egyptian sculpture wherein you can see details of the work through a virtual magnifying glass. Accompanying commentaries and animations provide historical and artistic analysis. Useful in-context tools...

Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. While learning how a...

Draw a graph of any function and see graphs of its derivative and integral. Don't forget to use the magnify/demagnify controls on the y-axis to adjust the scale.

A clever and compelling interactive introduction to art appreciation and visual literacy. Parent and child or older child/younger child can pair up to solve an art gallery mystery. The object of this activity is to answer questions about...

Students will look at different types of fabric and their respective individual properties. Using a magnifying glass and sandpaper they will test and observe the weave of fabrics and the wear quality of sample fabrics. By comparing the...

Draw a graph of any function and see graphs of its derivative and integral. Don't forget to use the magnify/demagnify controls on the y-axis to adjust the scale.