Making objects invisible with refraction.
Today we are going to do a simple but amazing experiment based on REFRACTION. Did you know that refractions {on a surface} is actually measured by the directional change in light {waves} from one medium to another. In simple terms; when you hold a cup up in the air, you dont actually see the cup or the air in the cup. You see the reflection of yourself and the room etc.
There is something called the "REFRACTIVE INDEX" which measures the bending of a ray of light when it passes from one surface into another. We are going to use OLIVE OIL and PYREX GLASS which both have an index of around 1.45.
Believe it or not; but we are going to make an object appear INVISIBLE by using a liquid and a solid with the same refractive index value! We will place one pyrex measuring glass into another and fill it with olive oil.
Here is an aerial view of the experiment. you can clearly see two pyrex measuring glasses, one within the other: With the smaller measuring glass half way submerged in olive oil. Everything looks normal from here.
Is Harry Potter around here?? You can faintly see the red markings on the measuring glass and a couple of small bubbles ... but its almost completely invisible to the naked eye! This is because of the refractive index of the olive oil and the pyrex being the same.
Here is the measuring glass completely full of olive oil. At the right angle the glass completely disappears! Scouts honor that the smaller measuring glass is still inside the olive oil! IT'S GONE. But only to the naked eye.
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