1 mole Carbon Block
Avialable exclusively from:
STEMCell Science Shop: BUY NOW: 1 mole Carbon Block
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1 mole Carbon Block: by Avogadro’s famous number there are 6.022×10^23 atoms contained within a mole of substance- a very large number because atoms are very tiny. This chunk of graphite is precisely cut to weigh 12.011 grams, and hence when you pick it up you will have, in your hand, 6.022×10^23 Carbon atoms (to better than 1 part per thousand). That’s 602.2 billion, times a trillion, atoms! Such numbers are a challenge to conceptualize, so in collaboration with STEMCell Science Shop we introduce our specially cut and engraved “1 mole of Carbon Block”— to put an Avogadro’s Number of atoms on your shelf.
You might also like: our Earth Mass Blackhole Replica
Fluorescein v. Laser Frequency
Need a laser pointer? Incredibly, you can get 3 (one of each color) for under $20 (including S&H):
From Amazon: BUY NOW Red+Green+Purple Laser Pointer
Make you own fluorescent solution with this powder:
From STEMCell Science: BUY NOW: Fluorescein Powder
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Fluorescein v. Laser Frequency: exploring how this famous fluorescent dye reacts to three frequencies of laser pointer using this unique liquid filled paperweight. Under Green (532 nm) we see some mild yellow fluorescence as the beam transmits through the liquid, under Red (635 nm) the beam transmits with no reaction, but under near UV Blue (450 nm) the beam is completely absorbed near the liquid surface and re-emitted in bright green with a peak at 515nm. A fun home experiment to explore quantum physics phenomena with inexpensive apparatus.
JSC-MARS-1 Martian Soil Simulant
Currently avaiable simulated martian regolith:
MMS-2 Mars Regolith Simulant developed by the Exolith Lab at University of Central Florida
From STEMcell Science: BUY NOW: Martian Soil Simulant Sample
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JSC MARS-1 Martian Soil Simulent: what the rust colored dirt of the Red Planet would look like up close! Produced by NASA for engineering studies of future human activities on Mars, this simulated regolith closely approximates the chemical, mineral, and grain size distribution based on data from the Viking and Pathfinder landers.
JSC 1 Lunar Soil Simulant
Currently avaiable simulated lunar regolith:
LMS-1 Lunar Mare Simulant developed by the Exolith Lab at University of Central Florida
From StemCell Science: BUY NOW: Lunar Soil Simulant Sample
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
In the video: JSC-1 Lunar Soil Simulant- if you could scoop up a handful of the surface of the Moon, this is how it would look. Produced by NASA for engineering studies of future human activities on the Moon, the simulated regolith closely approximates the chemical, mineral, and grain size distribution found in actual lunar samples from the Apollo missions. Sourced from slightly porphyritic basalt ash sampled from craters near Flagstaff AZ and then processed. The LMS-1 Lunar Mare Simulant developed by the Exolith Lab is the latetest and most up to date version.
Acrylic Rattleback
These acrylic versions work great and are inexpensive:
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Rattlebacks
From Amazon: BUY NOW Rattlebacks
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Acrylic Rattleback: a favorite from my collection- prefers to spin counter clockwise. If spun clockwise, a complicated combination of friction, precession, and instability induced vibrations transforms the rotational energy into into rattling (energy of oscillations) and then into rotational energy in the opposite direction! This behavior is related to the asymmetric shape of the bottom of this kind of rattleback, it's somewhat propeller shaped with an "S" curve along the bottom ridge
Uranium Glass Marbles
Available here:
From STEMCell Science: BUY NOW: Uranium Marbles
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Uranium Glass Marbles: the very small quantities of uranium oxide in this glass give it its green color and produces brilliant fluorescence under a 405nm violet laser pointer. Uranium is of course radioactive but the tiny amount in this kind of glass poses no risk. The florescence has nothing to do with the radioactivity- in fact it is myth that radioactive items glow!
Earth Mass Black Hole
Precision machined tungsten alloy spheres avaulable here:
From STEMCell Science: BUY NOW: Tungsten Black Hole Replica
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Earth Mass Black Hole: this sphere of tungsten alloy has a diameter of 17.7mm, a precision representation of the size of the event horizon of a black hole with a mass equal to that of the Earth! If the entire mass of the earth could somehow be compressed to the size of this sphere, it would indeed collapse to a black hole with an event horizon defined by a Schwarzschild radius of 8.87mm. For comparison a black hole with the mass of the sun would be 6km across. This black hole replica is made of one of the densest materials available, a tungsten alloy with ?=18.5 g/cm³ which produces a strange sensation when you hold it, with a weight of twice that of a ball bearing of equal size.
Earth Mass Black Hole with Space Warping Display Stand
Precision machined tungsten alloy spheres available here:
From STEMCell Science: BUY NOW: Tungsten Black Hole Replica
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Earth Mass Black Hole: this sphere of tungsten alloy has a diameter of 17.7mm, a precision representation of the size of the event horizon of a black hole with a mass equal to that of the Earth! If the entire mass of the earth could somehow be compressed to the size of this sphere, it would indeed collapse to a black hole with an event horizon defined by a Schwarzschild radius of 8.87mm. For comparison a black hole with the mass of the sun would be 6km across. This black hole replica is made of one of the densest materials available, a tungsten alloy with ρ=18.5 g/cm³ which produces a strange sensation when you hold it, with a weight of twice that of a ball bearing of equal size.
Bubble Chamber Trajectories
This item was part a wonderful subscription service:
From stemcell science shop: BUY NOW: Box of Matter and Amazing Science Stuff
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Bubble Chamber Trajectories: This frame of photographic film captures a rare glimpse of exotic subatomic processes that were unleashed within Fermilab’s 15-Foot Bubble Chamber. Built in the early 1970s, this colossal detector was a marvel of particle physics, filled with liquid hydrogen (at -253 C, only 20 degrees above 0 Kelvin) poised on the edge of boiling by displacement of a giant piston in 1/60th of a second which superheated the entire 380 thousand liters of fluid. Right at this moment a beam of high energy neutrinos was directed into the chamber where some collided with the hydrogen nuclei. Each wisp represents the trajectory of a charged subatomic particle, marked by bubbles that formed where the energetic particle had ripped electrons off hydrogen atoms, creating a string of ions, each becoming a nucleating point for a bubble to form and making the track visible. The presence of an intense magnetic field pushes the charged particles into curved paths that further reveal their speed and charge (+ or -). The images of these collisions thus allowed physicists to reconstruct what happened and what new exotic matter was created, and develop insights into the fundamental forces that govern matter, revealing the behaviors and iteractions of quarks, charged leptons, and neutrinos. This photographic frame is a actual data point used in an experimental analysis, a preserved moment of discovery! Thanks to Terry Mudge of @stemcell.eco for preserving and presenting this artifact.