Science is Magic

21

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The sensor is an electronic device made of millions

of smaller sensors called pixels. Each one records a

different tiny piece of the picture. However, when

you take a picture, these pixels don’t all work at the

same time to build the image. Instead, they start at

the top and quickly work down to the bottom. This

means that the bottom of a digital picture captures

a moment slightly later in time than the top. So if

something is moving fast, like a fan blade or

skateboarder, it will appear distorted.

SPINNER

Other objects that turn

quickly also work. Try looking

at a spinning fidget spinner.

Sometimes the

arms look like

they’re shrinking...

Red line shows

sensors working

from top to

bottom to build

up the image.

In this final picture

the skateboarder

has moved farther

along at the bottom

of the image than

at the top.

...and other

times like

they’re growing!

REAL TIME

DIGI TAL IMAGE

Digital cameras like the one

in a smartphone have something

inside them called a sensor,

which captures the image.

SCIENCE

PART...

THE

NOW

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US_020-021_Bend_The_Fan_Blades.indd 21 12/09/2018 15:49