{"id":556,"date":"2020-04-17T21:18:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T21:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/?page_id=556"},"modified":"2026-05-14T07:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:54:06","slug":"kaleidoscope","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/exhibits\/opticscolor\/kaleidoscope\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaleidoscope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kaleidoscope<\/h1>\n\n\n
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Sir David Brewster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sir David Brewster, while studying polarization, came up with the idea for the kaleidoscope and patented it in 1817.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What to Do:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Aim the clear side of the kaleidoscope at what you want to look at.\n
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    • Some suggestions are:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Objects in the room.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The fluorescent lights overhead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Your hand, while moving your fingers together and apart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Look through the small hole.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What do you think is inside the kaleidoscope that makes the image repeat in wedges around a circle?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Answer: This kaleidoscope has two mirrors inside separated by a 45 degree angle by a dark piece of cardboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      What is going on? <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The image seen in the triangular aperture between the two inclined mirrors is the result of reflections and appears to be a symmetrical figure. The separation of 45 degrees between the two mirrors gives the final image an 8-fold symmetry.  This means that the image repeats 8 times!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Sir David Brewster, while studying polarization, came up with the idea for the kaleidoscope and patented it in 1817.   What to Do:   What do you think is inside the kaleidoscope that makes the image repeat in wedges around a circle? Answer: This kaleidoscope has two mirrors inside separated by a 45 degree angle …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":65,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uw_migration_status":"complete","_uw_gutenberg_post_content_before_migration":"","_uw_seo_meta_title":"","_uw_seo_meta_description":"","_uw_seo_twitter_card_type":"","_uw_seo_meta_image":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_url":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_sizes":[],"_uw_seo_custom_meta_tags":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-556","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1037,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/556\/revisions\/1037"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/65"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}