Author: Rin Takahashi
Editors: Yueshan Yu, Maria Flores
Artist: Olivia Yuan
Have you ever gazed at the moon through binoculars, marveling at its craters and textures? Imagine a world where such intricate details remain unseen; our understanding of biology and astronomy would be incomplete. From human cells to small bacteria, the ability to see what was invisible has transformed our understanding of the world. This revelation lies in the invention of the magnifying glass.
History
The magnifying glass is one of the most ancient devices in the history of physics. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used polished stones to view smaller objects better. Polished stones bend light rays and focus them to create magnification. While many claim to have invented the first magnifying glass, English philosopher Roger Bacon created the first magnifier for scientific exploration in 1267. Specifically, he wanted to further his study in optics and light refraction. Advancements in technology have expanded its applications, integrating magnifying lenses into other devices, including binoculars, cameras, and telescopes in the modern world.
Functionality
A magnifying glass consists of a single convex lens, usually made of optical glass but sometimes using crystals and plastics, converging light rays towards a focal point. Usually, light bounces off an object and travels to your eyes, and those light rays travel parallel. However, when they pass through a magnifying glass, the convex lens bends the parallel rays so they converge onto a single point, making objects look larger and further away.
The Correlation between Magnifying Glasses and the Sun
You may have heard that looking through a magnifying glass while pointing it toward the sun can cause severe damage to your eyes. This is actually true because magnifying glasses intensify the sun’s rays. When exposed to direct sunlight, they can catch fire regardless of the season; it tends to happen more during the winter when the sun is lower in the sky. Earth receives the sun’s rays in a constant flow. While these rays are not strong enough to burn paper, wood, or other combustible substances, focusing them concentrates the energy at a single point, potentially igniting flammable materials or causing permanent eye damage and even blindness.
The steep curvature of the convex lens also generates the extreme heat needed to damage objects. Nearby objects such as curtains and clothing will be heated up, which can lead to smoke or an actual fire. If the fire damage is not detected quickly, it can spread throughout the property. Surprisingly, even fragments of glass can bring equally dangerous consequences.
Despite their potential harms, magnifying glasses have made the world efficient and advanced in different fields due to their structure, which makes objects look larger than they originally were. As kids, we used them out of curiosity to examine grasses and the insects around them more closely; however, as adults, we use them in science labs to zoom into chemicals and molecules. Their simple yet profound functionality reminds us that even small innovations can transform our lives.
Citations:
“Historical Context of the Magnifying Glass.” Www.brown.edu,
“How Does a Magnifying Glass Make Things Appear Bigger?” Wonderopolis.org,
Wonderopolis, 16 Oct. 2019, www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-does-a-magnifying-
glass-make-things-appear-bigger. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
“Is a Magnifying Glass a Fire Hazard?” Fire-Flood-Restoration.com, Rainbow Restoration, 9
Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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