All physicsfun toys

Scale Jupiter and Earth

Made by Jay Fisher and available here! 
From Shapeways: BUY NOW Jupiter 

Or buy the Solar System! 
From Shapeways: BUY NOW Scale Model Solar System

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Scale Jupiter and Earth: 3D printed accurate scale model of the Earth (diameter = 0.80 cm) and Jupiter (diameter = 9.0 cm). Wonderful detail allowed by the 3D printing process reproduces the belting and storms in the Jovian atmosphere- note that the hundreds year old cyclone that is the Great Red Spot is more than twice the size of our home planet. Made by artist/maker Jay Fisher using images from NASA. More planets to come.

Scale Saturn with Ring System and Earth

Made by Jay Fisher and available here! 
From Shapeways: BUY NOW Saturn 
Buy the whole Solar System! 
From Shapeways: BUY NOW Scale Model Solar System 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Saturn with Ring System and Earth: 3D printed accurate scale model of the Earth (diameter = 0.80 cm) and Saturn (diameter = 7.6 cm). The ring system is color printed on transparency film- note that the inner ring edge to the outermost ring measures 73000 kilometers and could fit almost 7 Earths side by side. The rings around the actual planet are very thin, about 1 kilometer thick, so the transparency film is 250 times too thick to be to scale, and even just the thin 0.010 mm ink layer on the film is 20 times thicker that the actual rings would be at this scale! Made by artist/maker Jay Fisher using images from NASA.

Swirl Around Top

Fun and inexpensive magnetic tipped tops: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic-Tipped Tops 


Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Swirl Around Top: the magnetic tipped top stays on the perimeter of the steel plate template- but since the top has more mass than the triangular plate, the triangle moves in an interesting way. This kinetic art toy takes advantage of Newton's 3rd law and rotational kinetic energy. Produced by The Toycrafter in the 1990s these tops are out of production but can often be found on eBay. 


Microscope Hologram

Sometimes available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Microscope Hologram

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Microscope Hologram: This photopolymer hologram is so realistic one can look through the eyepiece! Using a halogen bulb as a point light source the microscope in this vintage 1980s hologram pops from the page with stunning detail- and with the eye positioned just right one can see the magnified image of a small insect. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves. This interference pattern can encode 3D images which are revealed by illumination by a point source of light and viewing from an appropriate angle. Perhaps the most amazing hologram in my collection.

Polage Display

Austine has an online gallery of her amazing work. 
From Austine Studios: Polarized Light Art 

This kit has everything needed to make your own polarization art: 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Polarizing Film Kit 
The kit also includes a birefringent crystal, colorful optically active mica sheets, and a polarimetry demo that reveals when structures are under stress. A great value for so much physics fun! 


Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Here is a very nice discussion about polarization that pertains to Polage: Experiments With Polarized Light by Donald E. Simanek 

Polage Display: art with polarized light using polarizing sheets and cellulose to create changing forms and colors. Rotation of the filter allows the artist to produce colorful metamorphosis. This piece was created by Austine Wood Comarow- the main developer of this art form- as part of a campaign to promote Maui Jim polarized sunglasses. Light has an orientation, denoted as polarization, and a polarizing filter can be used to block certain orientations. The colors in polage come from how the molecular structure of plastics can rotate the polarization of any light that passes through- but only light corresponding to yellows and greens gets rotated in plastic, reds and blues not so much. Polage uses different layers of plastic to rotate the light, and then polarizing filters are added to allow only certain frequencies (colors) of light through.

Radiometer in Arylic

A wide variety available here, including some nice blown glass displays: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Radiometers 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Radiometer in Arylic: kinetic energy from light is showcased in this Eames era vintage Lucite block sculpture with encased radiometer. Light heats up the “vanes” which then heat up the very thin gas left in the bulb- the black side of the vane is hotter than the colored side and any gas molecule that comes into contact with it flies off at a faster speed imparting impulse to the rotor. This radiometer is unique in my collection featuring different colors on the vanes.


Moondrop

High precision manufacturing and beautifully packaged-- Get the original here: 
From the KS campaign: BUY NOW Moondrop Fidget 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Moondrop: using magnets and Lenz's Law to imitate free fall times on the Moon and Mars. The key to this device is the presence of neodymium magnets in the central aluminum column. When a non-magnetic metal ring moves down, the magnetic field in the center produces an electric current in the ring. The ring then temporarily becomes an electromagnet that exerts some repulsion against the center magnets slowing the ring down. The Earthdrop (blue) has the magnets removed from the column to provide comparison. Another unique and scientific fidget toy! 

Teleidoscope with Reflective Diffraction Disk

Very nice wooden mini-teleidoscopes are affordably priced here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Mini Teleidoscope 
From Etsy: BUY NOW Mini Teleidoscope 

Diffraction spin disks are getting harder to find. Here are some sources: 
and here: From Flynn Sci: BUY NOW Atom Disk

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Teleidoscope with Reflective Diffraction Disk: a teleidoscope is like a kaleidoscope but with a lens on the end, such that the kaleidoscopic image is formed by whatever is put in front of it. Here a well crafted wooden teleidoscope is directed towards a spinning sheet metal disk with patterns of reflective diffraction gratings- seen here under a 40 watt incandescent bulb.

USA Copper Spinning Top

Get this amazing top here: 
From  ShirePostMint: BUY NOW Spinning USA Top 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

USA Copper Spinning Top: a ceramic silicon nitride sphere is precisely placed at the center of mass allowing this copper plate of the US to spin like a top. Stamped out of heavy 1/8 inch thick copper, spin times up to 4 minutes can be achieved. More physics magic by @shirepostmint !


Twin Fan Lissajous

Rave math fun for only $6.95! 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Twin Fan LED 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Twin Fan Lissajous: two rotating fans with LED lights form Lissajous figures when spun around common axis. The rate and direction of spin determines the shape of the figure. With the image flash rate above the flicker fusion frequency (as it is here, above 16Hz) our vision perceives connected curves. Looks even more amazing in person! 

Magnetic Suspension Pencil Topper

Made by HogWild Toys 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Skydiving Pencil Topper (Sold out everywhere as of 12/20/2017 it seems) 

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Magnetic Suspension Pencil Topper: super silly physics today- skydiving cow, dog, and pig on the top of your pencil. A magnet on the top of the plastic arc attracts a magnet inside each skydiver, keeping them in suspended equilibrium against gravity, free to spin at the top of a nylon tether. Love the goggles on these critters. 

MaBoRun Mini

Get a MaBoRun here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW MaBoRun Mini Marble Run 

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MaBoRun Mini III: rolling marbles doing tricks as potential energy of gravity is converted to kinetic energy. In this mini-marble run a battery powered scissor linkage translates the rotation of the motor into linear motion to lift the marbles to the top.


Daruma Otoshi

Available here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Daruma Otoshi Toy 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Daruma Otoshi (Dropping Priest): Traditional Japanese physics toy. Use the hammer to knock out pieces, but without tipping over the stack. Newton's 1st Law as seen in slow motion- a mass at rest tends to stay at rest. 

Kaleidograph

Four versions to choose from! 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Kaleidograph 

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Kaleidograph: hand held manipulable mathematical art. Stack, rotate, and flip two or more of these 12 double sided die cut cards into billions of possible arrangements! (30 shown here) A toy that integrates the math of combinatorics with the beauty of symmetry.

Magneto Aerolux Xmas

Similar modern bulbs available here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Holiday Aerolux Bulb 

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Magneto Aerolux Xmas: Wishing all a luminous and Merry Chirstmas with a 1930s Aerolux neon discharge bulb powerd by a functioning antique 5 bar telephone magneto generator made in 1910. The generator creates 100+ Volt AC with such a low frequency one can see the polarity alter back and forth between the electrodes of the flickering bulb. More on vintage magneto physics in upcoming videos! The letters and background filament glow of the Aerolux bulb with light from the emission spectrum of excited neon. The tree glows green from a coating of phosphor which is stimulated to emit green light by the ultraviolet (and invisible) emission line photons from the excited neon atoms. 


Tiny Cube Top

Available from this shop: 
From Etsy: BUY NOW Cube Top 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Tiny Cube Top: symmetry axes are often associated with interesting physics. For instance- a cube can spin like a top. This tiny top is made of stainless steel with the final seconds shown in 250 fps

Viscoelastic Melting Snowman

Get the kit here! 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Melting Snowman Kit 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Viscoelastic "Melting Snowman": non-newtonian flow is demonstrated by these blobs of viscoelastic silicon polymer (aka Silly Putty) in the shape of snowman- if force is applied over a short period of time the substance shows elastic properties (bounces like a superball), but if the force is applied slowly the substance flows like a viscous liquid (flattens under gravity over a few hours as shown here). Thus this snowman does not melt because it is already liquid, one that flows slowly though. Mostly sold as a toy, Silly Putty was discovered after mixing boric acid with silicone oil during World War II in an attempt to find a rubber substitute.