Water Drop Magnifier - Easy Science Experiment For Kids

Have you ever studied an everyday object through a magnifying glass and been amazed at the magnified object? In this Water Drop Magnifier experiment, I will teach you how to make your own magnifier.

Age: 3+          Time: <10min

 Safety 

1. Be careful with the sharp scissors.
2. Adult supervision.

 Materials List 

• Scissors
• Transparent plastic bottle
• Water

 Instruction 

Step 1/3 –  Cut a piece of a plastic piece with a slightly concave surface off the plastic bottle. (It would be better if parents do this for kids.)

Step 2/3 – load a little water on the plastic piece.

Step 3/3 – Put it over any object and you can find the object is magnified if you look through the water drop.

 Troubleshooting 

1.why my water magnifier can not magnify things?
—Make sure that you cut off a plastic piece with a slightly concave surface. You also need to adjust the distance between the plastic piece and the object a little bit to find a fit distance.

2. Why my magnifier does not have a clear picture?
— Any magnifier has a focal point. You need to let the focal point (by adjusting the distance between the magnifier and the object) right on the object you are observing to have a clear picture.

 Scientific Description 

When we put the water on the cut plastic plate, the water acts as a Convex lens which is a lens with a thick center and a thinner edge and which can magnify objects if you look through it. The surface of a water drop curves outward to make a dome. This outward, or convex, curvature bends light rays inward. The result is an enlarged image on your eye. The object appears bigger than it is. The surface of a smaller drop is even more curved, creating a bigger change in the direction of the light ray. The result is a larger magnification. Any clear liquid will work as a lens. As long as the liquid has a thick center and a thinner edge, the lens will change the appearance of the object. The telescope in our daily life is made of two magnifying glasses.

 Extensions 

1. You can also experiment with different sized water drops, see if the magnification changes.
2. Is there will be any difference if you replace the water with other liquid?
3. What happens if you combine two water magnifiers.