Science Answer the following question.

1. Take a cardboard box. Make slits in the top and bottom sides of the box and place two mirrors so that they make an angle of 45° with the sides of the box and are parallel to each other. Fix them with a sticking tape.
2. Make two windows of 1 inch each near the two mirrors. Now see through the bottom window.
3. Make note of what you see.

From the bottom window, one can see what is in front of the top window. This device is called a periscope. This is used in submarines to see objects above the surface of water. It is also used to observe and keep a watch on the objects or persons on the ground from an underground bunker. The kaleidoscope and periscope both use the properties of reflection of light.

[Note: In a periscope, the angle of incidence is 45° and the two plane mirrors are parallel to each other. Hence, the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray.]

1. Take three rectangular mirrors of the same size.
2. Using sticking tape, stick the mirrors together making a triangle with the reflecting surface facing inwards (see Fig.).
3. Take a white paper of triangular shape and fix it with a tape at one end of the mirrors closing that end.
4. Insert 4 – 5 coloured glass pieces in the hollow of the mirrors.
5. Close the other end also with a paper and make a hole in it.
6. Look through the hole towards light. You will see innumerable images of the glass pieces. These are formed due to reflections by the three mirrors.

You can see different designs in the kaleidoscope. The speciality of a kaleidoscope is that the designs do not easily repeat themselves. Every time the design is different. People making wall papers which are used to decorate walls and cloth designers use a kaleidoscope for making new designs.