Understanding the eye with a pinhole camera (HS)
Students will learn principles of geometric optics and image formation. Students will build a pinhole camera so they can experiment with trade-offs between image brightness and resolution and develop solutions to achieve a bright and well-focused image. The parts of a working pinhole camera will be linked to parts of the eye including the pupil, iris, cornea, and crystalline lens.
objectives
• Students will learn the geometry of pinhole optics and be able to explain why images are formed upside-down in the human eye.
• Students will learn how pinhole size affects image brightness and resolution.
• Students will learn how lenses and mirrors can be used to achieve images that are both bright and in focus.
• Students will observe the inverted images on their own retinas using a simple shadow-casting technique.
Topic(s)
Geometric optics
type
High school lesson from Sunday Academy
9-12
Grade(s):
time needed
6 hours
author
Sunday Academy
national next gen standards
north dakota standards
9-10.1.1. Explain how models can be used to illustrate scientific principles
9-10.1.2. Describe the interaction of components within a system (e.g., interactions between living and nonliving components of an ecosystem, interaction between organelles of a cell)
11-12.1.1. Explain how scientists create and use models to address scientific knowledge
11-12.1.2. Identify the structure, organization, and dynamics of components within a system (e.g., cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, reactants and products in chemical equilibrium)
9-10.2.6. Design and conduct a guided investigation
11-12.2.4. Formulate and revise explanations based upon scientific knowledge and experimental data