A water-drop lens
You can make a lens from anything that is curved and clear—even a drop
of water. Here is an easy way to make a magnifying lens.
Materials
cardboard
food wrap (clear plastic)
medicine dropper
scissors
tape
water
Cut a hole about the size of a large coin in the cardboard. Cover the
hole with a piece of food wrap. Stretch the wrap as smooth as you can
and tape it down.
Find a newspaper page with a picture. Lay the cardboard on the picture.
Use the dropper to put one drop of water on the wrap. Look at the
picture through the water drop. What you see may surprise you.
The picture is made up of tiny dots. In the darkest parts, the dots are
very close together. Where the picture is lighter, the dots are farther
apart. For a better view, raise the lens. The dots will look larger.
You’ll find that the printing and the paper look different, too. The
\”smooth” paper is fuzzy, and the edges of letters are rough.
