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the Nuffield Curriculum Centre
written by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre
This is a classroom lab for grades 6-12 designed to allow students to compare the action of a pinhole camera and a lens camera. It gives directions for setting up a carbon filament lamp as the light source, plus technical tips provided by a physicist for getting best results. Required materials include a +7D lens and the pinhole camera itself, which can be constructed by students (see below for link).
This item is part of a much larger collection of physics/astronomy experiments, sponsored by the UK's Institute of Physics and funded by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre. SEE RELATED ITEMS ON THIS PAGE for a link to detailed instructions for building the pinhole camera box.
This resource is part of 3 Physics Front Topical Units.
Topic: Nature and Behavior of Light
Unit Title: Ray Optics -- Reflection and Refraction of Light Students experimenting with pinhole cameras are often amazed to see an inverted image at the back of the box. Often, they are confused about why the pinhole image is upside down, but we see things rightside-up with our eyes. The difference is that the pinhole actually projects rays of light through the hole to specific points on the back of the box. The lenses in our eyes act to converge light rays together into a common focus. This lesson is a great springboard to help students understand the ray model of light. **NOTE: Pinhole camera can be constructed by the student. See the resource directly below for step-by-step directions on building one out of an oatmeal box. Link to Unit:
Topic: Nature and Behavior of Light
Unit Title: Microscopy and Optical Devices Classroom Experiment Grades 6-12
Topic: Nature and Behavior of Light
Unit Title: Microscopy and Optical Devices Students experimenting with pinhole cameras are often amazed to see an inverted image at the back of the box. Often, they are confused about why the pinhole image is upside down, but we see things rightside-up with our eyes. The difference is that the pinhole actually projects rays of light through the hole to specific points on the back of the box. Lenses, which we have in our eyes, brings light rays together into a common focus. This lesson is a great springboard to help students understand the ray model of light. **NOTE: Pinhole camera can be constructed by the student. See the resource directly below for step-by-step directions on building one out of an oatmeal box. Link to Unit:
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=9014">Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera. October 25, 2007.</a>
![]() Nuffield Curriculum Centre, (2006), WWW Document, (https://spark.iop.org/collections/pinhole-camera-and-lens-camera).
![]() Nuffield Curriculum Centre, Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera (2006), <https://spark.iop.org/collections/pinhole-camera-and-lens-camera>.
![]() Nuffield Curriculum Centre. (2007, October 25). Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera. Retrieved April 27, 2025, from https://spark.iop.org/collections/pinhole-camera-and-lens-camera
![]() Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera. October 25, 2007. https://spark.iop.org/collections/pinhole-camera-and-lens-camera (accessed 27 April 2025).
![]() Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera. 2006. 25 Oct. 2007. Nuffield Curriculum Centre. 27 Apr. 2025 <https://spark.iop.org/collections/pinhole-camera-and-lens-camera>.
![]() @misc{
Author = "Nuffield Curriculum Centre",
Title = {Practical Physics: Pinhole Camera and Lens Camera},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {27 April 2025},
Month = {October 25, 2007},
Year = {2006}
}
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Is Supplemented By
http://idea.uwosh.edu/nick/Buildingacamera.pdf
This web page provides explicit directions for constructing a pinhole camera using card stock, tape, cardboard, heavy-gauge needles, and brass stock (available in hardware stores). relation by Caroline HallKnow of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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