Andrew's Science Fair Project

"Say Cheese"

PURPOSE

HYPOTHESIS

Do I think this camera will work?

No, I don’t think it will work.

MATERIALS

Blanket or cloth

Coffee can

Hammer

Small nail

Rubber band

Waxed paper

PROCEDURE

- Turn the coffee can upside down. Use the hammer and the nail to punch a small hole in the center of the bottom of can. The smaller and smoother the hole is, the clearer the picture will be.

- Turn the can right side up. Cut a piece of waxed paper big enough to cover the top. Put the paper over the top of the can and fasten it in place with the rubber band. Keep the paper as smooth and tight as possible.

- Find a window with a bright, sunny view. Set Your camera obscura so that the hole faces the window. Put a blanket over your head and the part of the coffee can nearest you. Keep your eyes about a foot away from the waxed paper. Move the can until it points at something that is in sunlight. You will see a picture of that thing on the waxed paper, but the picture will be small and upside down.

- That is what your camera "sees"! Light waves coming in through the lens cross each other. A small, upside-down picture reaches the film when you snap the shutter. After the film is developed, a print of the picture is made. The picture you get is right side up.

- A camera sees pictures the way we do. It has a lens that acts like the lens in your eye. The lens gathers the light and bends it, so that it falls on the film inside. The light paints a picture on the film.

- The shutter acts like Your eyelid. But most of the time the shutter is closed. When you press a button, the shutter opens for a second to let the light hit the film.

- Before you take a picture, you push a lever, or wind a knob. The last picture you took moves out of the way and a new part of the film moves into place. When you press the button, the shutter opens and closes. When the film is developed, you have a picture you can keep. It shows what you and the camera saw.

PROJECT SUMMARY

1. How did I come up with my project idea?

My sister gave me the idea to do my project on cameras.

2. What did I learn from my experience?

I learned how cameras really work.

3. How close were my hypothesis and conclusion?

They were nothing the same.

4. Did I learn anything new from my project?

I learned lots of new things from my project, like how cameras really work.

5. What was the most interesting part of my project?

The most interesting part of my project was making and using my camera obscura, and finding out that it worked just like a real camera.