Light, Shadows and Reflections: science class six
A Pinhole Camera
A camera is a device using which a picture of an object can be obtained on a screen. Our eyes are the natural camera using which we see the beautiful world.
The camera with a pin-sized whole and without having a lens is known as a Pinhole Camera.
The pinhole camera has a pin-sized hole in its front side and a screen in the rear. A pinhole camera can be made using a cardboard box or other similar box.
Making of a Pinhole Camera at Home
Materials Required:
Two rectangular boxes made of cardboard, Trace Paper, A small pice of black paper, Black Paint, A pin, Glue, and Tape
* Take one box made up of cardboard having one side open.
* Take another box having two sides open so that the smaller box can slide into another with no gap in between them. (Shoe boxes can be used for this purpose).
* Make a small circular hole (about 1-inch diameter) in the middle of one side of the larger box.
* Cover this hole using black paper and glue.
* In the smaller box, cover one side using trace paper and glue.
* Slide the smaller box inside the larger one.
* Take a paper pin and make a hole in the black paper.
* Now your pinhole camera is ready for use.
* The black paper side is the front and the tracing paper is the back side of the camera.
* Hold the pinhole camera pointing black paper that is front side towards objects such as trees, buildings, etc. outside keeping the back end that ends with trace paper towards your face.
* See the image obtained on the tracing paper. If the image on trace paper is not visible clearly adjust the smaller box by moving it forward and backward.
* Objects you try to look at should be in bright sunshine.
* You can see the image of the Sun, with your pinhole camera. Hold the sheet towards the Sun. You will see a small circular image of the sun on the tracing paper.
This pinhole camera can be used to see the solar eclipse. Do not see the sun directly otherwise it may damage your eyes.
Pinhole Camera in Nature
You might have seen the small circular images of the sun under a big tree. These images are formed by pinhole cameras in Nature. The gaps between the leaves of a tree act similar to pinhole camera forming the image of the sun.
During the partial Solar Eclipse, the image of the sun can be easily seen under a tree.
You may see this type of natural pinhole image of the sun in your room when sun rays come through the small slit of ventilation and or doors.
You can see other many images in nature which are forming natural pinhole cameras.
History of Pinhole Camera
The description the pinhole camera is found in the 500 BCE Chinese writings and after that in Roman's writings. This means in the China and in the Rome there was the existence of the pinhole camera.
Later on the description of the pinhole camera is found in the work of Arab Physicist Ibn al-Haytham.
Uses of the Pinhole Camera
● The pinhole camera was used in photography. Later on, with the invention of the lens, the lens fitted camera replaced the pinhole camera.
● The image of a pinhole camera can be obtained on screen, generally on a tracing paper, and a pinhole camera is very cost effective, hence pinhole camera is used to observe solar eclipses widely as to see directly the sun may cause the damaging of eyes. Hence pinhole camera is very much useful for this purpose.
● Since in a pinhole camera lens is not used so the image of an object from an infinite distance can be obtained using a pinhole camera.
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