Water Bottle illuminates partly hidden image

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Feather17
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Image Water
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of using a plastic water bottle as an improvised magnifying lens to enhance the visibility of clouds through blinds. Participants confirm that the water bottle provides improved clarity of the view by reducing light divergence and allowing for better detail perception. The effect is attributed to the principles of magnification, where the water bottle acts similarly to a magnifying glass, enabling the viewer to see more information without increasing the size or brightness of the image. The conversation highlights the practical application of basic optics in everyday situations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic optics principles, including light divergence and magnification.
  • Familiarity with the function of lenses, specifically how magnifying glasses operate.
  • Knowledge of how light interacts with different materials, such as plastic.
  • Basic photography skills to capture and analyze images for clarity and detail.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of light and how lenses manipulate light paths.
  • Explore the concept of aperture effects in photography and optics.
  • Learn about different types of lenses and their applications in magnification.
  • Investigate the properties of various transparent materials and their optical effects.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for optics enthusiasts, amateur photographers, and anyone interested in practical applications of magnification and light manipulation in everyday life.

Feather17
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
At work, I have my plastic cheap blinds shut in the orientation of siding on a house. My office is only lit by a lamp. Outside is a sunny day. From my view, directly infront of the window, sitting down, facing north, around mid to late day is of vauge reminisce of clouds in the blue strips of light that gets through the blinds.
-
But when I hold my empty plastic water bottle up to my eye, I can see the clouds outside drastically better! I have pictures on my phone of this but don't know how to upload them on here. Anyways, does anyone know what's going on, and why this works?
-
My observations are that:
1. the orieniation of the water bottle does not effect anything.
2. reversing the blinds the same effect is seen except down low at the cars in the lower half of the window where light gets through that reaches the eyes.
3. Water bottles have slight magnification it appears.
-
I googled magnification some and I think that is where the answer is.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Feather17 said:
But when I hold my empty plastic water bottle up to my eye, I can see the clouds outside drastically better!

What does 'better' mean in this context? Brighter? Larger? Clearer?
 
Your field of view is decreased. You are looking at a magnified portion of your original view. A magnifying glass would literally do the same thing
 
Sounds like good old magnification!
 
Better as in improved quality, more information. I could claim the cloud looks like something where as before you cloud barely make a claim a cloud was there. It doesn't not appear larger or brighter to the naked eye just you can get more information.

Yes. Thanks for reply. I looked up how magnifying glass works. And I do think the Rays are less diverged and more parallel so the light from outside has more detail due to the eye not having to strain to focus.
 
I wonder if you're getting a small aperature effect.

Are you near-sighted?
 
Yes. But I took a photo of it and it show up great. Every body I told when I got home blew me off until I showed them the picture then they were like wow.
 
You could upload the photo here.
 

Similar threads

High School Water Wicking between two containers
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
654
Mold in Plastic Water Bottles? What does it eat?
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
10K
High School The focal length of the eye and image inversion
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
High School Huh? Seeing crisp vitreous floaters while using microscope
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
High School The mathematics of transforming images in Adobe Premiere - Part 1
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad How to Measure Magnification of a Lens System with Liquid Surface
  • · Replies 40 ·
2
Replies
40
Views
6K
Undergrad Air vs water as insulation for my cold frame
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
8K
High School Flame becomes larger with water mist
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
High School Why do reflections in water sometimes appear different from what we see?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
4K
High School What would the planets look like in real life?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K