Burning up the Paper with a Magnifying Glass

In this super easy science experiment, all you need is just a magnifying glass, a piece of paper and a sunny day. It is a very fantastic outdoor activity for family to try on a sunny day.
           
Age: 5+          Time: <10min

 Safety 

1. Demonstrate this experiment in the open air.
2. Make sure there are no flammable materials around.
3. Wear sunglasses.
4. Adult supervision.

 Materials List 

•  Magnifying glass
•  Paper
•  Sunglasses
•  A sunny day

 Instruction 

Step 1/2 – Wear sunglasses.

Step 2/2 – Let the sunshine through the magnifying glass onto the paper so that the focal point is on the paper. Keep the focal point on the paper and wait a moment, the sun will burn the paper. Remember to extinguish the fire after the experiment.

 Troubleshooting 

Why I can not find the focal point？
— You need to adjust the distance between the paper and magnifying glass.

Why I can not burn my paper?
— Maybe the sunshine is too weak. You want to use tissue paper or some dark paper. The darker the better.

 Question to Ask 

Can I use the ordinary glass, instead of a magnifying glass?

 Scientific Description 

A magnifying glass is a double convex lens that focuses the light rays striking the surface onto a single point (focal point). as we all know that the sunshine has energy. When the sunshine focuses on a sport, the light decreases in size but intensifies in brightness. Concentrate that much energy on a single spot so that there is enough energy to burn up the paper.

 Extensions 

You can try if you can focus the lamplight to burn the paper.