Jelly Lens

I found this article that I have written about 7 years back! Well it is still a nice home experiment to try out!

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I remember reading this interesting article by CSIRO on making Jelly lens.

I tried making the lens myself and I guess it works great for a demo! Before we start, some words of caution!

Warning!!!

Do not eat the jelly given to you as they are not meant for consumption!
Do not point the laser pointer into the eye of anyone and do not play with it unless told to do so.
Only use the knife under the supervision of an adult.
If you are preparing the jelly mixture at home, do it only with the supervision of an adult as there are heating involved.

What you need:

Cooking Pot
Heating Element (Stove)
Measuring Beaker
Knife
Container
Measuring Spoon
Weighing Machine
1000ml of water
220g of sugar
20ml of Konnyaku Jelly Powder

Method:

Prepare 1000ml of water, pour into the cooking pot and bring it to boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat source.
Add in 15ml of Jelly powder and 220g of sugar into the prepared water and stir thoroughly.
Once the powder are all dissolved in the water, turn on the heat source and allow the solution to boil slowly.
Allow the mixture to boil for about 5 to 10 minutes before turning off the heating element. You will notice little bubbles forming in the mixture. Stir well.
Let the mixture cool down for a while (and continue stirring in the pot) before pouring into the container for the jelly to set.

Fun Activities:

Well, you can cut the jelly lens into different shapes like prism, concave, convex lens and many more! Discover how light actually bends in these mediums! Learn why lens are shaped the way they are and the use of them! Importantly, have fun learning!