a Making Kaleidoscope From a Pringles Potato Chip Can
Here are some exercises and activities that lead to building a kaleidoscope that makes a nice gift if done well. First, here is a list of the supplies and tools you will need to complete this project. I will supply the other listed materials. Tools you need: Scissors, Xacto knife, ruler, compass, pencil, pen, and protractor. Supplies you need: Main tube: 1 empty Pringles potato chip tube (or close relative) about 9-3/4 inches tall by about 3 inches in diameter with plastic lid(s). Scotch tape, glue, thin scrap cardboard, scrap chipboard if you have some. Decoration: Markers, Escher tiling papers, glitter, stickers, origami paper, gift wrapping paper, etc. Viewing objects: Plastic beads, small jewelry, tiny toys, foil balls, etc. Supplies/tools I will provide: Cutable Plastic mirrors, can opener, hot glue gun and glue, chipboard, thin clear plastic sheets, tracing paper, newsprint, construction paper. Here are some exercises you will find useful to do before class to prepare for making your kaleidoscope. Bring the answers to these with you to class. Exercise 1) What does the word kaleidoscope mean? Where does the word come from? Explain in a short paragraph how a simple kaleidoscope works. Exercise 2) Measure the diameter of your Pringles potato chip tube. Given the circle with an inscribed equilateral triangle as shown, figure out the length of the sides of the equilateral triangle so it would just fit into your Pringles tube. Exercise 3) Compute or measure the inside circumference of your particular Pringles tube? Instructions: 1. Remove the metal end from the Pringles can using a can opener. 2. Measure and cut your mirrors so they are about 1/2 inch less than the length of your tube and they form an equilateral triangle that easily fits inside your Pringles tube without binding or being overly small. Hint: Exercise 2! 3. Remove the protective film on the mirrors. Carefully tape the mirrors at their edges to form a long equilateral triangular arrangement. Check that your mirror arrangement fits easily into your tube with some space to spare around it. 4. If you two have plastic Pringles caps, use one for the eyepiece as follows. Cut a hole in the plastic cap for an eyepiece by tracing a dime in the
center of the cap and cutting this out with an Xacto knife. Cut out a circle of thin plastic and tape this inside the cap to protect your eye when viewing. You may want to cut a nice circle of paper with a corresponding center hole to place inside the cap for appearance. 5. If you have only one Pringles cap, just cut an eyepiece with viewing hole traced around a dime from paper or thin cardboard and tape thin plastic inside it to project your eye. Think about how to attach this paper to the tube before you begin cutting! 6. Crumple and flatten a sheet of newspaper 5 6 times until it resembles packing material. Wrap your mirror assembly in enough paper until it just slides snugly into the tube and is firmly held in place by the paper. 7. Attach the eyepiece to the end opposite the viewing chamber. Slide the mirrors down so they fit snugly against the eyepiece. Look into the eyepiece and make sure nothing is obscuring your view through the scope. 8. Cut the bottom of the viewing chamber from a cardboard piece as shown so it will fit snugly inside your tube. Careful at the corners! Now cover this with a circle of thin plastic and g...