kaleidoscope

     

A kaleioscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose colored beads, pebbles or other small colored objects. The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, reflecting off the mirrors. Typically there are two rectangular lengthwise mirrors. Setting of the mirrors at 45° creates eight duplicate images of the objects, six at 60°, and four at 90°. As the tube is rotated, the tumbling of the colored objects presents the viewer with varying colors and patterns. Any arbitrary pattern of objects shows up as a beautiful symmetric pattern because of the reflections in the mirrors. A two-mirror model yields a pattern or patterns isolated against a solid black background, while a three-mirror (closed triangle) model yields a pattern that fills the entire field.

Trivia about kaleidoscope

  • David Brewster invented the stereoscope & this toy, a tube with mirrors & colored glass in it
  • In 1817 Scotland's David Brewster patented this pattern-making tube made with mirrors & ground glass
  • David Brewster established the law of polarization by reflection & invented this optical toy
  • Collectors prize these cylindrical toys made by the Steven Manufacturing Company
  • It's the optical instrument you'd look through to see the type of image seen here