Invisibility

Violet from the Incredibles can make herself invisible. Harry Potter has a cloak that does the same. Wonder Woman has an invisible plane. Even James Bond has an invisible car. But is it really possible to make things invisible Yes! … and scientists and engineers are working on it.

Invisibility is all about light. You can see a banana that is in front of you because yellow light has bounced off it and into our eyes. Stop the light bouncing from the banana into your eyes and the banana becomes invisible to you.

If instead of a banana, you stop light bouncing from you to other people’s eyes, you would be invisible!

Ways to be invisible

Here are some ways you might try to make yourself invisible. Follow the links to find out more.

Absorb all the light that hits you. Then none will get back to their eyes. Submarines hide from SONAR this way.
Make light pass through you, so that you are like glass. You can’t see glass!
Put a mirror between you and them. This is one way magicians make things disappear
Make light curve around you. Electronic engineers are working on this one.
Cover yourself in tiny screens and use cameras to film what is behind you. Tanks have been hidden from snipers this way.

So invisibility can be made to work! Well, just about. It’s not quite perfect round the edges, and if you move it gets worse. But, hey, we are getting there!

Invisibility

Violet from the Incredibles can make herself invisible. Harry Potter has a cloak that does the same. Wonder Woman has an invisible plane. Even James Bond has an invisible car. But is it really possible to make things invisible Yes! … and scientists and engineers are working on it.

Invisibility is all about light. You can see a banana that is in front of you because yellow light has bounced off it and into our eyes. Stop the light bouncing from the banana into your eyes and the banana becomes invisible to you.

If instead of a banana, you stop light bouncing from you to other people’s eyes, you would be invisible!

Ways to be invisible

Here are some ways you might try to make yourself invisible. Follow the links to find out more.

Absorb all the light that hits you. Then none will get back to their eyes. Submarines hide from SONAR this way.

Make light pass through you, so that you are like glass. You can’t see glass!

Put a mirror between you and them. This is one way magicians make things disappear

Make light curve around you. Electronic engineers are working on this one.

Cover yourself in tiny screens and use cameras to film what is behind you. Tanks have been hidden from snipers this way.

So invisibility can be made to work! Well, just about. It’s not quite perfect round the edges, and if you move it gets worse. But, hey, we are getting there!

There is a cheaper way to stop your light getting to another person’s eyes of course: hide behind a tree!

Fun to do: Write a story

Write a story about what you would do if you were invisible.

Superhero powers: invisibility

More superhero stuff

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