Optical Illusions | Optics for Kids

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The information gathered by the eye is processed by the brain, creating a perception that in reality, does not match the true image. Perception refers to the interpretation of what we take in through our eyes. Optical illusions occur because our brain is trying to interpret what we see and make sense of the world around us. Optical illusions simply trick our brains into seeing things which may or may not be real.</p> <p>Try out some of these illusions and discover just how tricky it can be for your brain to accurately interpret the images from your eyes. Click on any of the images below to begin your exploration of optical illusions.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-container grid-container--expandable no-stretch"> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/moire-2.jpg"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Moiré </h5> <p><strong>Are the pinwheels moving?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-d791920a-417c-4fda-801b-d4e3732f8dfa"> <p>Answer: No, the wheels are not turning. The Moiré effect can produce interesting and beautiful geometric patterns.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-d791920a-417c-4fda-801b-d4e3732f8dfa" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-d791920a-417c-4fda-801b-d4e3732f8dfa">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/light-bulb-illusion.jpg"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Light Bulb</h5> <p><strong>Stare closely at this light bulb for 25 seconds. Then immediately stare at a white wall or sheet of paper. What do you see?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-312eb1f3-7c83-4491-ae78-8b9ffaf8ccec"> <p>Answer: You should see a glowing light bulb!</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-312eb1f3-7c83-4491-ae78-8b9ffaf8ccec" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-312eb1f3-7c83-4491-ae78-8b9ffaf8ccec">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/elephant-legs.jpg"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Elephant Legs</h5> <p><strong>How many legs do I have?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-ebf8c6c7-f1d3-444d-b30f-ccf3aa30d5e2"> <p>Answer: Four</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-ebf8c6c7-f1d3-444d-b30f-ccf3aa30d5e2" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-ebf8c6c7-f1d3-444d-b30f-ccf3aa30d5e2">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/teach.jpg"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Teach</h5> <p><strong>In this illusion you can see the word Teach and its reflection. Can you read the reflection too? What does it say?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-5ee51288-d955-4c68-bc97-542c77612e55"> <p>Answer: Learn</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-5ee51288-d955-4c68-bc97-542c77612e55" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-5ee51288-d955-4c68-bc97-542c77612e55">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/duckrabbitillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">The Animal</h5> <p><strong>How many animals do you see in the image?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-d2d52183-cb9a-4ad7-b299-7d4585631b0e"> <p>Answer: Look closely, you should be able to see a rabbit and a duck.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-d2d52183-cb9a-4ad7-b299-7d4585631b0e" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-d2d52183-cb9a-4ad7-b299-7d4585631b0e">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/boxillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">The Box and the Sphere</h5> <p><strong>Keep your eyes on the dot. Is it in the front or in the back of the cube?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-a8d165f7-521f-45ad-a4ed-6daf09e99856"> <p>Ask a friend and see if they agree!</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-a8d165f7-521f-45ad-a4ed-6daf09e99856" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-a8d165f7-521f-45ad-a4ed-6daf09e99856">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/colorblind.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Color Blind</h5> <p><strong>What number do you see in the circle?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-9eb9a7b3-c18f-4bde-968a-dad2ec08adde"> <p>Answer: You should be able to see the number 26, but people with various degrees of color blindess may only see the 2 or the 6.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-9eb9a7b3-c18f-4bde-968a-dad2ec08adde" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-9eb9a7b3-c18f-4bde-968a-dad2ec08adde">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/colorillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Color Illusion</h5> <p><strong>How many colors are present in the image?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-4ed1cdcc-2e50-4b6f-b091-0c8b06bc66e9"> <p>Answer: One shade of green and one shade of red!&nbsp;<br />
<br />
It may look as if the two arms of the &quot;X&quot; use different shades of red, but in face the whole &quot;X&quot; only uses a single shade of red. Likewise, only one shade of green is present throughout the image.&nbsp;</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-4ed1cdcc-2e50-4b6f-b091-0c8b06bc66e9" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-4ed1cdcc-2e50-4b6f-b091-0c8b06bc66e9">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/gradients.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Gradients</h5> <p><strong>Which side of inset bar is darker?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-9180043f-9464-438c-bb37-73ec26f7530b"> <p>Answer: They are both the same shade!</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-9180043f-9464-438c-bb37-73ec26f7530b" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-9180043f-9464-438c-bb37-73ec26f7530b">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/hermanngridillusion-2.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Hermann Grid Illusion</h5> <p><strong>Count all the black dots you can see</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-318f4f29-1948-4f9e-808d-b9efe5c8d92f"> <p>Answer: There are no black dots.<br />
<br />
If you focus directly on each dot, you&#39;ll see that all of them are white.&nbsp;</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-318f4f29-1948-4f9e-808d-b9efe5c8d92f" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-318f4f29-1948-4f9e-808d-b9efe5c8d92f">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/horizontallines.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Horizontal Lines</h5> <p><strong>Are the horizontal lines sloping or straight?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-5025be1d-2f32-43c7-b110-e3265939b974"> <p>Answer: All of the lines are straight.<br />
<br />
The black and white blocks are not aligned and thus fool your brain into thinking that the lines are sloping.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-5025be1d-2f32-43c7-b110-e3265939b974" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-5025be1d-2f32-43c7-b110-e3265939b974">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/kanizsatriangle.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Kanizsa Triangle</h5> <p><strong>How many triangles are present in the image?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-53f3b29a-418f-4250-a12c-4976b4987c26"> <p>Answer: There are no triangles.<br />
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In reality there are only 3 V shapes and 3 shapes that look like Pac-Men.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-53f3b29a-418f-4250-a12c-4976b4987c26" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-53f3b29a-418f-4250-a12c-4976b4987c26">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/muller-lyerillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Muller-Lyer Illusion</h5> <p><strong>Take a very close look at the 2 vertical lines. Do you think one line is longer than the other?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-30305d63-b0b9-4bff-b994-65061f2da6eb"> <p>Answer: They are the same size! Hard to believe; get out your ruler to measure the lines and see for yourself!</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-30305d63-b0b9-4bff-b994-65061f2da6eb" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-30305d63-b0b9-4bff-b994-65061f2da6eb">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/womanillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">My Wife and My Mother-in-Law</h5> <p><strong>How many figures can you see in the image below?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-bd56b0d6-b8a6-4f12-a356-f4dc53927423"> <p>Answer: If you look closely, you can see both a young and an elderly woman.<br />
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The picture, My Wife and My Mother-in-Law, is a good example of two images existing in one, and was published in 1915 by the cartoonist W.E. Hill.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-bd56b0d6-b8a6-4f12-a356-f4dc53927423" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-bd56b0d6-b8a6-4f12-a356-f4dc53927423">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/snakes.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Snakes</h5> <p><strong>Are the circles moving in the image?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-a613daec-1fd3-4e51-a1da-a5474f1aa307"> <p>Answer: Look closely, they aren&#39;t moving.</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-a613daec-1fd3-4e51-a1da-a5474f1aa307" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-a613daec-1fd3-4e51-a1da-a5474f1aa307">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/zollnerillusion.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Zollner Illusion</h5> <p><strong>Do you think these lines are parallel? </strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-1898dfda-9cae-4384-9d5c-30f1574f604b"> <p>Answer: They are parallel!</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-1898dfda-9cae-4384-9d5c-30f1574f604b" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-1898dfda-9cae-4384-9d5c-30f1574f604b">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> <div class="card card-outline-light"> <img class="card-img-top" src="https://dg3pr45u97c3u.cloudfront.net/o4k/media/o4kmedia/illusions/refraction-arrow-animation.gif"/> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="mt-0">Refraction Illusion </h5> <p><strong>Are both arrows pointing the same direction on the paper behind the glass?</strong></p> <div class="collapse" id="description-093fcaee-d628-4674-8fa1-9c6f7a5d9203"> <p>Yes! This illusion demonstrations <a href="~/what-is-optics/refraction/">refraction</a>, the bending of light.&nbsp;</p> </div> <button class="btn btn-material btn-explore" data-toggle="collapse" type="button" data-target="#description-093fcaee-d628-4674-8fa1-9c6f7a5d9203" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="description-093fcaee-d628-4674-8fa1-9c6f7a5d9203">ANSWER</button> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </main> </div> <footer class="o4k-footer mt-3"> <p class="text-center">Copyright © 2024</p> <p class="text-center mb-0"> 3 <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> |  <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="/contact-us">Contact Us</a> |  <a class="o4k-footer__link" href="https://www.optica.org" target="_blank">Optica</a> </p> </footer> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/combine/npm/jquery@3.6.0,npm/popper.js@1.16.1,npm/bootstrap@4.5.0"></script> <script src="/js/bundle.js"></script> </body> </html>

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Optical Illusions | Optics for Kids