IR Camera with Opaque Sheet
Brief Description
This is a demonstration of how materials can be opaque to certain wavelengths of light but transparent to others. In this demo, there is a sheet that cannot be seen through with the naked eye (visible light), but when looking through an infrared (IR) camera, the sheet is completely transparent.
Materials
IR camera with cables, IR sheet, IR flashlight, BNC converter, and a small table stand with rod (optional).
Set Up
To hook up the camera to the projector, use one of the HDMI cables labelled “Laptop” and “Laptop 2” coming out of the front tables. If needed, you can also unplug the HDMI from the Doc Cam and use that. Be sure to plug it back in when you are done.
Plug in the BNC converter power cord and the 9V IR camera power cord. Plug the other end (white) of the camera power cord into the red female cable of the camera. Connect the yellow end of the camera cables to the long adapter cable using the small metal adapter piece. Plug the other end of the adapter cable into the BNC converter.
Optionally, you can use the stand to place the camera on. There is a small hole in the base of the camera where it can rest on the rod. Be careful around the cords as it is easy to accidentally knock the camera off the table. When ready to show the camera display, simply switch the projector to whichever source you hooked it up to.
Performing the Demo
Show the opaque black sheet to the class, noting how you cannot see through it. Then look at the sheet through the camera. You will likely want to shine the IR flashlight at whatever you are looking at. If there is not enough IR coming through, you will not be able to see through the sheet.
