INFINITE REFLECTIONS
Question/Aim
Question: How does the number of uncovered mirrors
affect the number of unique reflected images in a 3 sided
kaleidoscope?
Aim: To understand the physics behind kaleidoscopes and
their “infinite” reflections.
Hypothesis
CLAIM: The more mirrors there are uncovered, the more
unique reflected images will form.
REASONING: When there are no uncovered mirrors, there
will be no reflections. When one mirror is uncovered,
there will be 1 reflected image. Two uncovered mirrors
will create 4 unique reflected images. And when all the
mirrors are uncovered there will be an infinite amount of
unique reflected images as the light infinitely reflects off
each mirror to the next.
SDG Connection
SDG 4: Kaleidoscopes can be used to
teach students about light and
reflection, they are also proven to
enhance creativity and visual
perception skills.
SDG 9: Kaleidoscopes foster
innovation and encourage design of
innovation regarding materials and
infrastructure.
Vedantu.com
Data/Results Evaluation
Through testing, we discovered that only with thin mirrors can the reflections
Experiment: Reflection With occur successfully. Thin mirrors provide better control over the path of light
and thus provide more clarity in images. If we did this again we would only
Covered And Uncovered Mirrors test with cylindrical, thinner mirrors to achieve efficient results
Photos
Conclusion
CLAIM:
The more mirrors there are uncovered, the more reflections
there will be.
EVIDENCE:
For all our tests, zero mirrors uncovered created no images.
One uncovered mirror created one image. Two uncovered
mirrors created five images. And three uncovered mirrors
created twelve reflected images.
REASONING:
Kaleidoscopes utilize the phenomenon of multiple reflections,
where light rays bounce off multiple surfaces and create
images along the way. As the light rays reflect off the mirrors
continuously, seemingly infinite images are formed. However,
whilst the reflection occurs an infinite amount of times, there
are only 12 unique reflected images due to repetitions that
occur throughout the cycle. When mirrors are covered the
light won't reflect when it reaches those mirrors and there are Bibliography
many less reflections. When all mirrors are covered there are Brittanica.com
no reflections. Sciencebuddies.org