How to Make a Phenakistoscope
Make a walking raccoon phenakistoscope by selecting the Raccoon link below!
Can you say phenakistoscope?
FEN A KISS TOE SCOPE
It's the scientific name of the toy you're about to construct. Joseph Plateau invented the phenakistoscope in 1832. Mr. Plateau lived in Belgian and studied optics, the science of light and vision.
The toy works on a scientific principle known as "persistence of vision" -- it describes how our eyes and brain work together. The human brain does not see a light until a tenth a second after the light is turned on. The image persists (lasts) about a tenth of a second after the light is turned off. The spinning slits on the phenakistoscope, allow your eyes and brain to quickly see a series of still pictures of an animal. Each picture shows the creature in a successive stage of movement. And each image is presented to the eye before the previous image fades out in your head. This tricks your brain into watching what it thinks is a moving animal! But enough about your brain and your eyeballs. See for yourself. Each phenakistoscope shows an animal moving exactly as it would in nature.
Here's how you can make and operate your own phenakistoscope.
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Pick the phenakistoscope you want to construct on this web page and click on it. Each phenakistoscope features a different critter that lives in our county parks.
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Click on the print icon on your computer's web browser to make a hardcopy of the phenakistoscope wheel that appears on your screen.
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Glue the printed copy of the phenakistoscope to a thin piece of cardboard. A glue stick or spray-on adhesive works well for this step.
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Cut along the outline of the phenakistoscope wheel. Make sure to cut out the slits. Use sharp scissors.
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Insert a straight pin through the center dot of your phenakistoscope wheel and then into the eraser at the end of a pencil. Note, the pencil should be on the backside of the wheel.
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Stand in front of a large mirror.
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Hold the pencil firmly and spin the wheel.
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Look through the slits in the wheel.
The reflections of your chosen creature are either galloping, running, flying or swimming!
Attachments
- Running Cougar Wheel
The cougar has long and powerful hind legs, allowing it to leap 18 feet at a time.
- Turkey Vulture Wheel
Turkey vultures that spend summers in southern Canada soar into our county parks every fall.
- Galloping Elk Wheel
The tule elk's rotary gallop allows it to sprint at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
- Walking Racoon Wheel
Watch your sandwich! The raccoon would love to share your lunch.
- Swimming Trout Wheel
A rainbow trout can go from resting on a creek's bottom to a swimming speed of 9 feet per second in the blink of an eye.
