Comparing Different Type of Equipment that Uses Lenses


OBJECTIVES: Comparing different types of equipment that uses lenses. Observing the position of lenses in equipment. VOCABULARY: binocular camera eyeglasses hand lens microscope telescope MATERIALS: worksheet	Students discover how lenses are used

BACKGROUND:

Lenses are used in our society in many ways. They are usually hidden, but the power to move and concentrate light is very useful and necessary in our society. The most important lens to humans is the one in each of our eyes. Without it we could not see.

Lenses have the ability to concentrate or diffuse light, while changing the path of how light travels. Lenses not only can move light, but all other components of the electromagnetic wave spectrum. Lenses are powerful in our society.

PROCEDURE:

During lab students have seen how light can move things. In this section students look at different items and see if they can locate where lenses may be located.

Use a pair of glasses and ask students where are the lenses? The glass (or plastic) are just lenses. They are what are called convex-concave, which means that one side bulges out a little and the other side is scooped inward. These lenses can help correct our eye’s lenses, to improve our vision. Bring other items into the class like a camera or binocular. A camera captures an image on film through a series of lenses. A binocular has several lenses inside that make a far object appear closer.

Give students the worksheet and see if they can determine where the lenses are. In the overhead projector each of the glasses, act as lenses to concentrate light and then project the image. The hand lenses is actually a biconvex lenses. In the microscope and telescope, there are a series of lenses our the outside and inside.