Garrido & Obge 1

Kali Garrido & Veronica Obge

Professor Cristina Korb
Mathematical Concepts
3 December 2014
Kaleidoscopes
It all started with a man that everyone called Dr. Brewster. In 1814, something sparked
his interest on the polarization of light, so he started to study it. He found that by placing fluids
in a trough formed by two plates of glass, of which were cemented together at a certain angle, the
eye being placed at one end, the cemented areas appeared to be arranged into a regular figure.
This created a curious symmetry that he had not seen before. So, naturally he decided to go off
and study that. Upon studying that symmetry, he eventually came up with the leading principles
of the Kaleidoscope. These principles had three conditions: first, the reflectors should be placed
at an angle, which was an even or odd aliquot part of a circle, when the object was regular; or an
even aliquot part if the circle was irregular. Second, out of an infinite number of positions for the
object, both within and without the reflectors, theres only ONE position where perfect symmetry
can be obtained, namely, by placing the object in contact with the ends of the reflectors. Third,
out of an infinite number of positions of the eye, theres only ONE where there was perfect
symmetry, namely, as near as possible to the angular point, so that the circular field could be
distinctly seen; and that this point was the only one out of an infinite number at which the
uniformity of the light of the circular field was a maximum (Brewster 19). Now, after figuring
out these certain principles, Dr. Brewster used them on an instrument and showed that

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instrument to members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh to see what they thought about it.
Well, needless to say, they absolutely loved it. A while after this occurrence, Dr. B figured out
that putting movement to the pieces of colored glass gave a different outcome. So, he took the
pieces of colored glass, which were at the end of the instrument, and fixed them to where they
could move, thus creating the Kaleidoscope. However, the finished product is not quite finished
at this point. There was one limitation to this instrument: It was incapable of producing these
beautiful forms unless the object was nearly in perfect contact with the end of the reflectors. So,
Dr. B removed this limitation to make it easier to see these beautiful forms. He added a draw
tube and lens so that the power of the Kaleidoscope became indefinitely extended, and therefore
anyone at any time could look into this instrument and see beauty easily (Brewster 21).
Now that you know about the basic history of the Kaleidoscope, lets focus on the math
involved in creating one. Essentially, the whole thing behind a Kaleidoscope is the reflecting of
light off of mirrors placed in certain areas. To start off, you have to place two plates made of
anything that can reflect light off of it, at a 60 degree angle. The eye of the Kaleidoscope has to
be put at the opposite end, or narrow end, of the kaleidoscope. When these two plates are placed
at a 60 degree angle, when you look into the eye you should see the opening of the angle
multiplied six times and arranged around a certain point (Brewster 22). So, essentially, what you
are seeing is the many reflections of one starting point and reflection. Now, when placing these
items in their dignified position, there was a problem that was stumbled upon. No one could
explain where the image of the 6th plate came from. There were theories of it being an image on
top of another, but thats impossible. So, looking into it, they found that the images were placed
around the circumference of a circle. In this case, the angle of the mirrors is 180 degrees,

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therefore coinciding and making one image, but giving off the impression of two images
(Brewster 23). To go into more detail, with one mirror an object is reflected off of the mirror if
the angle between the object and the mirror, and the mirror and the area you are looking from, is
one in the same. Combining that situation with the mirage of mirrors described earlier creates a
complex pattern of images. Each mirror is reflected from the one beside it. By putting all of the
mirrors in a circular fashion, they all reflect off of one another, and project the magnificent
images you see when you look into a Kaleidoscope (The Hollanders Math). So, essentially,
the wonders of a Kaleidoscope are merely reflectors set into place at certain angles to create an
amazing, yet simple, sight of art.
Although Kaleidoscopes do not take too much time or materials to make, the
mathematical aspect of them is quite fascinating. The way they are built takes precision and
specific measurements. When one looks through a kaleidoscope one is seeing an incredible
amount of mathematical measurements. By looking through the eyepiece and rotating the tube,
you see beautiful changing patterns as the pieces of coloured glass tumble about and are reflected
in the mirrors (Kaleidoscopes).
The math that is seen inside the kaleidoscope is based on reflections and angles. The
mirrors inside the kaleidoscopes are very important in making them work due to the reflections
that they give off. When looking into the kaleidoscope, the angle of reflection combines with the
mirror configuration and a complex pattern forms between the mirrors due to the perspective of
the eye looking down the long mirror shaft (Do the Math). The pattern then forms with a
piece of glass that is seen in the opening at the end of the mirror. A very complex pattern is then
reflected outward which creates an illusion with the glass piece (Do the Math).

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The way that a kaleidoscope works is very complex and has everything to do with angles
and the way that the light hits those angles. Light rays are collected by the lens on the objective
end. They are further refracted by the contents of the objective (How They Work). The light is
then reflected from one mirror to another and that angular arrangement determines the pattern
that one will see when looking into the kaleidoscope. This explains why the patterns can be
different with certain angles of sunlight.
The width and length of the mirrors also change the visual effects of kaleidoscopes.
Mirror width controls the size of the initial segments. Mirror length provides the surface area
that allows the pattern to expand, creating the illusion of size (How They Work). When the
objective is turned the contents shift, forming different patterns. Another thing that affects the
way the inside of a kaleidoscope is seen is the type of light that is being reflected onto the
mirrors. For example, ambient light, which is light from the sun, moon, incandescent or
fluorescent bulbs, changes the visual effect without changing the pattern (How They Work).
Throughout this project, we have discovered that a classic toy that we played with during
our childhood can be attributed to mathematical measurements and certain angles of sunlight.
There are many more mathematical aspects that are put into the kaleidoscope than we ever
imagined possible. However, it makes sense that there would be a significant amount of math
involved considering the amazing art that the kaleidoscope produces.
The supplies needed to make a decent kaleidoscope include three mirrors, one PVC pipe,
one PVC end cap, three adhesive-backed foam strips, three pieces of foam rope, one Petri dish,
PVC cement, one roll of transparent tape, permanent markers for added color, and small pieces

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of sandpaper. Obviously, a good kaleidoscope involves a bit of time and effort, as well as
mathematical precision. It is safe to say that light and reflections are two of the most important
ingredients involved in making a kaleidoscope work properly. The Greek mathematician Ptolemy
described two polished surfaces opposite each other that produced multiple images, not two
simple reflections (History of Kaleidoscopes). Thanks to David Brewster of Scotland in 1816,
the kaleidoscope was born.
Overall this project was very informative for us and we were able to further understand
kaleidoscopes in many aspects. We also realized what a large part math plays in the constructing
and viewing of kaleidoscopes. Kaleidoscopes are one of the few mathematical inventions that
survived to see the future and be used by people today in the modern world for simple
entertainment. This project helped us to see the amazing mathematical sequence of a
kaleidoscope that precisely angled mirrors and light reflection can create.

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Works Cited
Brewster, David. The Kaleidoscope, Its History, Theory and Construction with Its Application to the
Fine and Useful Arts. 3rd ed. London: J.C. Hotten, 1870. Print."Do The Math." The Hollander.
13 Apr. 2014. Web. <.>.
"How They Work." The Hollander's History of Kaleidoscopes. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://thehollander.com/history.html>.
"Kaleidoscopes." Art of Maths : Paul Scott : 5. Kaleidoscope. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://paulscottinfo.ipage.com/art-of-maths/5kaleidoscope.html>.
"The Hollander's Math of Kaleidoscopes." The Hollander's Math of Kaleidoscopes. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
<http://the-hollander.com/math.html>.
"The Hollander's History of Kaleidoscopes." The Hollander's History of Kaleidoscopes. Web. 5 Dec.
2014. < >.