Description
Create your won thaumatrope which is an optical illusion toy that will rotate quickly between two images. An optical illusion is something that deceives the eye by appearing be other that what it is. We will be spinning our thaumotrope which would make it seem like the two different pictures are combined into one picture.
Materials Needed
Hole punch or Pencil
Index Cards
Markers
Tape
Rubber bands
Instructions
- Draw a cage in the center of an index card
- Draw a bird in the center of the second index cards
- Tape the cards together with the images facing out. Place the tape on both the top and bottom of the cards.
- Punch a hole on the short sides of the attached cards. Make sure the holes are created closer the ends of the cards and not the middle. You can use either a hole punch or a sharpened pencil.
- Loop a rubber band through each of the holes so that hey are securely tied to the cards.
- Hold on to each rubberband and turn the thaumatrope around until the rubber bands are tightly wounded.
- Release the thaumatrope so that the index cards spins. When it released, the cards will look like the bird is in the cage.
- Try drawing different pictures and come up with your own designs. Possible ideas: flowers in a vase, duck in a pond, eggs on toast and bug on a leaf.
The Science Behind It
When the thaumatrope spins, the two pictures move so fast that your brain blends the two pictures together. This is called the persistence of vision theory. If drawings are shown in fast succession, the human eye would perceive them as a continuous movement. The tighter you turn the rubber band, the faster it will be when you release it.