Periscope Power! A Zoom-tastic Invention You Can Make!

UnEarthed
Aug 3
3 min read

Written by: Allaha Mohiby Edited by: Carine Medellus

Ever dreamt of peeking over a high fence? Or looking around a corner without anyone seeing? Well, buckle up and get ready to whizz into the world of great inventions because today, we are going to make our own periscope!

Think of a periscope as a secret tunnel for your eyes. Mirrors bounce light around in there so you can look at something that's normally out of sight. It's actually really fun and pretty simple to build using things you probably have in your home!

What You'll Need to Create Your Zoom-tastic Periscope:

Two empty cardboard tubes (either from wrapping paper or paper towels). Both must be the same diameter!
Two tiny, flat mirrors (about 2-3 inches square or circular will work). You should be able to find these at craft shops or even in old compacts of makeup (have a grown-up help!).
Scissors
Tape (clear tape or masking tape works well)
A pen or marker
A ruler (optional, but helpful)

Let's Zoom In and Construct!

Instructions:

Get Your Tubes Ready: Grab your two cardboard tubes. We are going to make some holes for our eyes and for our new view of interest.
Mark the Spots: Using Grab your first tube from one end and, about an inch from the edge, draw a rectangle. That's where you will look through. Nest, go to the other end of the tube, flip it over to the opposite side, and draw an identical rectangle. Imagine turning the tube halfway around-there is where your second rectangle should be.
Cut the Holes: Use your scissors carefully to cut out the two rectangles you drew. If you need assistance, ask a grown-up!
Mirror Magic (Part One): Next, take one of your mirrors. Place it inside the tube close to one of the holes you cut. Tilt the mirror so that if you look through the hole at the other end of the tube, you will see the mirror’s reflection of what's outside of the other hole you created. You might need to have it slightly off center. Hold it as well as you can, and then use tape to secure the edges of the mirror to the inside of the tube.
Mirror Magic (Part Two): Place your second mirror in the second tube, near one of its open ends. The second tube refers to the tube that we have not cut. This time, tilt the mirror so it will reflect an image upwards towards the other open end of this tube. Again, tape it firmly in place.
Assembly: Insert one cardboard tube slowly into the other. They might need to be twisted slightly. Attempt to have the open ends of the tubes facing one another so you can look through one end and out the other. You'll find that you can adjust the length of your periscope by inserting or removing the tubes.
Zoom In and See the World Differently!Congratulations! You've built your own periscope. Now, hold it up and look through one of the holes. You should be able to see things that are above or around obstacles!
How Does It Zoom?
Well, it doesn't zoom in quite so much like a camera, but it does give you an alternative way of "zooming" your vision around! The light from what you are viewing travels in a straight line until it hits the first mirror. The mirror bounces the light down the tube to the second mirror. The second mirror bounces the light straight to your eye! It's a little secret light path!

Congratulations! You've built your own periscope. Now, hold it up and look through one of the holes. You should be able to see things that are above or around obstacles!

How Does It Zoom?

Well, it doesn't zoom in quite so much like a camera, but it does give you an alternative way of "zooming" your vision around! The light from what you are viewing travels in a straight line until it hits the first mirror. The mirror bounces the light down the tube to the second mirror. The second mirror bounces the light straight to your eye! It's a little secret light path!

Fun Things to Do with Your Periscope:

Spy on your toys: Catch your plush animals misbehaving when you're not around!
Look over fences: Discover what the neighbor's up to (with permission, of course!).
Examine from an alternate angle: Hold it overhead to examine something from an different perspective.
Have a secret agent show: Spy on your "mission" with your periscope!

So, get your materials and get ready to zoom into a world of hidden views with your awesome homemade periscope! It's a fun way to learn about light and vision, and it's just totally cool too!

References:

Bee-A-Maker, & Instructables. (2019, November 3). Periscope. Instructables. https://www.instructables.com/Periscope/

Science Museum Group. (2021, August 16). Periscope STEM activity - science museum group learning. sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk. https://learning.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/resources/periscope/