The Eye

The human eye is a remarkable organ. Different parts of the eye work together to
change light into electrical signals which are sent to the brain. This allows you to see
the world around you.

My lesson objective is to understand how the human eye works.

Scientific Question
How does an image form on the retina of the eye?

Independent variable (what I will change) The distance between the straw (object) and
lens (cm). I will try the experiment at two different distances.

Dependent variable (what I will measure) The distance between the lens and the screen
when an image is formed (cm).

Control variables (what I will keep the same)

Prediction
Cross out what does not apply: I think that the image will be upside down / upright

Materials
1. retina screen
2. screen stand
3. lens
4. lens stand
5. plastic straw
6. object stand
7. measuring tape
8. torch (1 per 6 students)
9. torch stand (set of two)
Safety
The lens can break and hurt your hand so handle with care. Never look through the
lens at a bright light source as it might damage your eyes.
Method
Part A - Preparation:
1. Slide the retina screen into the screen stand.
2. Fold a small piece of paper and place in the
gap of the lens then secure the lens in the
stand as shown in the pictures.
Part B – Focusing Light:
3. Place the measuring
tape on a flat surface.
4. Arrange the apparatus
as shown.
5. Darken the room or
lab. Align the torch so
that the light travels to
the middle of the lens.
6. Place the plastic straw (object) in front of the light source
(torch).
7. Draw a colored arrow on the straw at a level where the light
hits the straw as shown in the picture.
8. Move the screen back and forth along the measuring tape
until a clear image of the arrow appears on the screen.
9. Record the positions of the object, lens and screen in your
results table.
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for with a different distance between the object and lens.
Results 1 2
position of the retina screen (cm)
position of the lens (cm)
position of the object (cm)
Calculate the distance between the object
and lens (cm). The symbol for this is o.
Calculate the distance between the retina
screen and the lens when an image has
formed (cm). The symbol for this is i.
Questions
1. Cross out what does not apply Cross out what does not apply
Result 1 Result 2
Image was upright/upside down Image was upright/upside down
Image was smaller/larger than object Image was smaller/larger than object
1. Challenge:
Draw a ray diagram in your Learning Journal to show how the image forms on
the retina.
2. Extra challenge:
Use the results table to calculate the focal length (f) of the lens using the lens
equation:
1 1 1
= +
𝑓 𝑜 𝑖