written by Rebecca E. Vieyra
sub author: Caroline Hall

This AAPT lesson blends physics, geometric optics, and biology as students explore image formation by using "water pearls", a hydrating polymer product that expands in water and behaves as a convex lens. By observing objects through the water pearls, students will explore properties of light refraction and learn about focal length of a lens. The water pearls allow learners to visualize image inversion in a convex lens and relate this phenomenon to the vision process in the human lens. They will also observe that the water pearls are invisible when immersed in water because they have the same refractive index as water. The extension activity challenges students to ponder what would happen if our brains did not reorient inverted images so we see them "rightside up".

• Download FINALTeacherGuide-WaterPearls_RVieyra-2017January.pdf - 729kb Adobe PDF Document

Published January 7, 2017
Last Modified January 11, 2017

This file has previous versions.

by R. Vieyra and C. Hall

Word Version: Print and Customize Your Lesson

• Download FINALTeacherGuide-WaterPearls_RVieyra-2017January.docx - 3187kb Word Document

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license.

Published January 7, 2017
Last Modified January 11, 2017

by Rebecca Vieyra

Printable Student Guide for classroom distribution.

• Download FINALStudentGuide-WaterPearls_RVieyra2017January.docx - 680kb Word Document

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license.

Last Modified January 11, 2017