Phase Locking Folk Toy v2.0
Versions of the Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle available from these sources:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Hooey Stick Folk Toy
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See the original version here: Phase Locking Folk Toy
A detailed physics analysis of this toy was published in 2018 (open acess): Physics of the mechanical toy Gee-Haw Whammy Diddle
Phase Locking Folk Toy v2.0: the “double whimmy-diddle” with two propellers (an advanced design from Tennessee- according to the printing in the package!). Interestingly, with each start up, the propellers will sometimes spin in the same direction, and other times in opposite directions. Another vintage toy from the 1970s, available for many years from the Mountain Craft Shop out of Wetzel County West Virginia.
Dual Spiral Kinetic Art
Here are some available kinetic illusions that operate on the same principle:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Spiral Spinner Illusion
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Dual Spiral Kinetic Art: hanging by fishing line, thick gauge steel wire is shaped into connected helixes- a pair twisting clockwise and a single coiled counterclockwise. When spinning the rotational motion creates translational motion both upwards and downwards along the vertical direction, and also the striking illusion that the quartz sphere is climbing or descending.
Magnetic Poles & Fields
Get a set here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Field Viewer set
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Viewing Magnetic Poles: visualizing the invisible- tiny iron filings suspended in viscous oil gracefully chain up to reveal the presence of magnetic field lines. Can you determine how the magnetic polls are configured by the structure of the field lines? Here three configurations, initially hidden behind white foam board, create the beautiful mappings of the fields.
Uphill Roller
This set available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Uphill Roller Double Cone
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Uphill Roller: a double cone (like two funnels connect by their tops) will roll up a set of inclined rails. Although the bi-cone rolls toward the higher end, its center of mass descends due to the geometry of the rails. This curious construction was first published in 1694 by the noted surveyor William Leybourn to promote “recreation of diverse kinds” towards the “sublime sciences”. Physics fun from three centuries ago!
Cone of Apollonius
Similar models available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Cone of Apollonius
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Cone of Apollonius: Slicing a cone with a plane will produce the famous curves known as the conic sections, as demonstrated with this beautiful vintage wood model by Nasco. Slicing at a right angle to the cone’s axis of symmetry produces a circle, and tilting the intersecting plane a bit produces an ellipse. When the plane is tilted parallel to the side of the cone the curve produced is a parabola, and tilting even further creates a hyperbola. The discovery of the mathematics demonstrated here are attributed to Apollonius of Perga from about 250 BC- thousands of years later Kepler, Newton, and others showed these conic sections to be intricately connected to many branches of physics such as planetary orbits and the optics of telescopes.
Incline Gravity Clock
These vintage clocks are sometimes found on eBay. Some take 24 hours to descend (expensive) and some take 7 days (very expensive).
Ancient Clockwork Zamberlan posted theses nice photos of the inner workings of this clock
See other amazing clocks in my collection here: Unusual Clocks
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Incline Gravity Clock: powered by gravity this clock has no batteries or mainspring- however, once each day the clock must be picked up and placed back at the top of the ramp. As the clock rolls down the incline (here 12 hours are captured in time-lapse of 24 seconds), gravitational potential energy is translated into the kinetic energy of the moving clock gear train and oscillating balance wheel. The clock face and mechanism hang suspended with a counterweight that keeps them upright- although you might notice the mechanism of this vintage clock sticks a little at 7 o’clock. After some research I believe this clock was produced in China about 50 years ago.
Mini-Drinking Bird Heat Engine
Small and large drinking birds available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Mini-Drinking Bird Heat Engine
See more drinking birds in my collection
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Mini-Drinking Bird Heat Engine: this hummingbird sized heat engine is the latest species added to my drinking bird collection. This little guy comes with the traditional top hat and his own plastic goblet- which is the perfect height for a standard drinking bird to share. Cooling by evaporation at the head leads to lower pressure in the top bulb, the pressure in the bottom bulb pushes the dichloromethane fluid up the neck making the bird top heavy and the bird tips over dipping its beak and letting the fluid return to the bottom bulb. The process repeats, and as long as the top stays wet and cooler than the bottom this heat engine will continue to cycle.
Horizontal Hand Boiler
This device available here:
From Edicational Innovations: BUY NOW: Horizontal Hand Boiler
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Horizontal Hand Boiler: liquid-gas phase transition. The boiling point of dichloromethane is slightly below body temperature and heat from a hand will induce vaporization of the liquid which increases pressure in one bulb pushing the red (dyed) liquid through the glass pipe to the other bulb. The process can repeat by switching the hand to the other side, but as both sides heat up the transfer is less vigorous. An inexpensive toy demonstrating phase changes and other thermodynamic physics.
Popsicle Stick Bomb
Craft sticks work great:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Stick Bomb Supplies
Amazingly: There is a Wikipedia entry on Stick Bombs and their physics
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Popsicle Stick Bomb: a form of simple tensegrity, the elastic potential energy of the bent sticks is dramatically released under application of a slight concussive force such as an impact with a table top- shown here in forward and backward slow motion (swipe to see three more explosions). Shown here is one of the simplest constructions with 5 flat sticks woven into a spring-loaded configuration held in place by friction and tension induced by the bending of the wood. A nice demonstration of energy conversion- potential to kinetic.
Advanced Gyro: Hybrid Spinning Top
Get one from David Fowler's shop:
From PhysicsHack: BUY NOW: Advanced Gyro
Made with extraordinary craftsmanship and high quality materials, and sold at a very reasonable price!
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Hybrid Gyroscope Top: the Advanced Gyro is a new design by @physicshack and in defiance of gravity this gyroscope can hang from a string attached only at one end. No pull cord needed, this unique design spins up via friction with a working surface (thin cardboard works well) and applying a circular motion to bring the rotor up to 1000s of RPM. Machined from solid stainless steel this top weighs in at about half a kilo, providing inertia that produces long spin times.
Pendulum Clock
Affordable gravity powered pendulum clocks available here in a number of styles:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Pendulum Clock
The version featured in the video is the: Hermle Ravensburg Clock
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Gravity Powered Pendulum Clock: invented in 1656 by Christian Huygens, the physics properties of a swinging pendulum was the basis of all precision clocks until the 1940s. As noted by Galileo, the period of swing of a pendulum can be made very precise and stable depending only on its length. This modern version is made faithfully in the original design powered only by gravity as the potential energy of the descending weight is transferred to the kinetic energy of the drive train gears and pendulum. The key feature of any pendulum clock is the anchor escapement mechanism- a curved piece attached to the pendulum with two prongs that only allows the escapement wheel to move forward one tooth per swing cycle, and producing the characteristic “tick-tock” sound. The weight descends about 1 cm per hour, and when hanging from a wall the chain needs to be pulled once a week, raising the weight up about 2 m to keep the clock in operation. This beautiful clock, made by Hermle, features a chime that sounds upon the hour.
1790 Terrestrial Globe by Mova
Available for all the planets and several versions of Earth:
From Amazon: BUY NOW
Mova Globes: all types
From Amazon: BUY NOW
Mova Globes: 1790 Terrestrial
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Octopus Stand available here:
From Etsy-pyrofarms: BUY NOW OctoStand in Metal
1790 Terrestrial Globe by Mova: rotating counterweighted globe sealed within a clear liquid filled acrylic sphere. The rotation in a Mova globe is powered by light that shines through the semi-transparent map image on to solar cells within the globe which drive a motor. But what does the motor push against to maintain the rotation? Believe it or not it uses magnets to push against the Earth's magnetic field like a compass needle. Wonderful physics of all kinds in the design of this clever device. The featured map is a faithful recreation of a globe famous for its accuracy at the time by Giovanni María Cassini and highlights the voyages of James Cook.
Ambiguous Superhero Object
Available now- 3D printed ambiguous object Illusion:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Superhero Ambiguous Object Illusion
More of this type here: Ambiguous Object Illusions on @physicsfun
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Ambiguous Superhero Object: A very fun fan art 3D print which makes use of the ambiguous object illusion invented by mathematician Kokichi Sugihara- a clever combination of reflection, perspective, and viewing angle. Printed and sold by 3DNY Design.
Impossible Dovetail
Inexpensive versions of this "impossible box" like that in the video avaiable here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Impossible Box Puzzle
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Impossible Dovetail: this impossible object is pretty common, but it is a classic, and included in my collection. If one assumes a regular dovetail joint then this construction would indeed seem impossible without cutting and gluing, but what one sees from the sides makes for misleading assumptions as this box opens easily. Swipe for reveal once you’ve thought about about possible constructions.