National Chemistry Week - Experiments - Water Magnifies

THE AIM:

To show that looking at objects through water makes them appear larger.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 glass jar with curved sides
• water
• plastic wrap
• objects to be magnified (e.g. coins, leaves)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Pour water into the jar.
2. Drop the objects to be magnified in, one at a time.
3. Place a drop of water on the surface of the plastic wrap and hold it over the object to be magnified.
4. Make observations.

Light bends as it passes into the water and this causes the objects to appear larger. A drop of water on a small amount of plastic wrap makes an easy magnifier for exploration of the world around us.