Crazy Remote
Want to have some quick science fun with your TV remote? Then try this experiment next time you flip on the tube:
Materials:
- metal frying pan or cookie sheet
- TV remote control
- plastic sheet
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Making IR Visible to the Human Eye
Infra-red light is in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that isn’t usually visible to human eyes, but using this nifty trick, you will easily be able to see the IR signal from your TV remote, remote-controller for an RC car, and more!
- TV remote control
- camera (video or still camera)
Download Student Worksheet & Exercises
Exercises
- Look over your data table. What kinds of objects (plastic, metal, natural, etc.) allow infrared light to pass through them?
- Why does the camera work in making the infrared light visible?
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Right, the camera we used to record the video also picks up infra-red light. If you try this in person you won’t be able to see infra-red with your own eyes. By the way most cell phone cameras can also pick up infra-red.
In the second video I saw the light not through the camera when he pressed the remote. Is that because you guys were videoing the lesson video with a camera or how did I see it?
There’s a much longer video at the start of this unit that covers the different wavelengths in much more depth. I would start with that video first. Look for the first unit in the experiment section to access it.
Why doesn’t this teach my children anything about infra red light, other than the fact that infra red doesn’t work through opaque objects? There is no information about infra red in the videos. Just two experiments.