Hexa Sphericon
Select metal versions, or less expensive 3D printed versions avaiable here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Sphericons
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Hexa-Sphericon: Sphericons are unique solids that roll in such a way that every point on their surface comes in contact with the plane- following the path shown here with white paper. Solids from the sphericon family all have one side and two edges. Each sphericon is based on a regular polygon, with the basic sphericon derived from a square, and here- a more interesting case with more complex rolling motion- from a hexagon.
Photoelastic Polymer Toys
Glitterins offers toys for young children that utilize the physics of polarization:
From Glitterins: Polarizing toys
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Photoelastic Polymer Toys: a simple polariscope designed for kids. Special gel polymer cutouts (this one in the shape of an eye) show how polarized light will reveal internal stresses with bursts of colorful light as the polymer is stretched and compressed. ?Special thanks to Pamela Saha of Glitterins for sending me this wonderful kit.
Feather Kaleidoscope
Amazing fine art kaleidoscopes also avaibable here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Fine Art Kaleidoscopes
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Feather Kaleidoscope: unique chamber filled with cut feathers provides the viewing material for this side-lit precision kaleidoscope by Carol Verde-Paretti. With every squeeze of the perfume atomizer bulb, a puff of air throws the feathers into a new arrangement leading to a seemingly infinite variety of stunning images on the five point mandala. Invented by the famous Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), the kaleidoscope is an ultimate physics toy and entire field of artistic endeavor.
Mystery Orbiter UFO
Similar toys available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Gravitron Gyroscope UFO
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Mystery Orbiter UFO: hidden within this flying saucer shaped toy is a gyroscope, allowing it to balance at seemingly impossible angles, and causing it to precess around an axis through the contact point. The physics and vector nature of angular momentum! Blowing air through one of the three holes spins this gyroscope up.
Pluto Globe by MOVA
Available here:
From MovaGlobes.com: BUY NOW Pluto MOVA Globe
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Wikipedia has a wonderful summary of the 2015 Pluto flyby and the complete mission of the New Horizons space probe.
Pluto Globe by MOVA: simulate the historic 2015 Pluto flyby of NASA’s New Horizons space probe with this self rotating detailed image of the dwarf planet’s surface. Each MOVA rotating globe is sealed within a clear liquid filled acrylic sphere. The rotation is powered by light that shines through the semi-transparent Pluto globe on to solar cells inside 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. Love this clever device. With thanks to @movaglobes for sending me this amazing globe.
Novascope Kaleidoscope
The Novascope can be ordered from the artist here:
From novascopes.com: Order here Novascope by David Sugich
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Novascope: tapered mirror kaleidoscope by David Sugich uses three mirrors to create an image of geodesic spheres. Three mirrors in an equilateral triangle configuration will produce a plane of tiled triangles, but if they are tapered the repeated reflections curve to infinity creating the spherical geometry. In this design there are thin gaps etched into one mirror which allows in colored light from a flashlight (on the white side of the pyramid shaped scope) to produce the hexagon lattice. Shining a light through the view portal reveals where the colored lines come from as a flashlight moves from top to bottom and back. Invented by the famous Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), the kaleidoscope is an ultimate physics toy and entire field of artistic endeavor.
Pentominoes
Get this set here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Hardwood Pentominoes
Many versions available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Pentominoes
The book by mathematician Solomon Golomb that started the polyonomo recreational math craze:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Polyominoes
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Pentominoes: The 12 possible arrangements of five identical squares joined edge to edge. Since 5x12=60, the pentominoes can tile a 6 x 10 rectangle with no gaps (2339 ways to do this- yet even finding one solution is a challenge). I love this beautiful set from artist/woodworker Ron Moore where each pentomino is made from a different kind of hard wood.
Steinbach Reflection Symmetry Sculpture
This sculpture and others available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Steinbach Reflection Scupltures
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Reflection Symmetry Sculpture: precision etched into only one corner of a triangular prism, multiple reflections within the optical grade glass create the 3D lighthouse with hexagonal cross section. The top of the prism is cut and polished to allow a bird’s eye view as well. Fun use of symmetry and geometry in this optical crystal sculpture series by Steinbach.
Jacob’s Ladder Magic
This classic toy available here:
Amazon: BUY NOW Jacob's Ladder Toys
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The same ribbon hinge mechanism is used to make the "magic" wallet (Click here for magic wallet).
Jacob’s Ladder Magic: disappearing coins demonstrate another non-intuitive aspect of the hinge mechanism of this classic toy. The earliest description of the ribbon hinge mechanism that creates the kinetic illusion of cascading blocks comes from a magazine article in Scientific American in 1889.
Heat Pipe
The heat pipe kit includes the pipe and a copper rod:
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Heat Pipe Demo Kit
Get a heat pipe here (various sizes and shapes):
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Heat Pipe
Here is the liquid crystal sheet used in the video (range 20-25C):
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW liquid crystal thermometer sheet
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Heat Pipe: a device that transfers heat with great efficiency- as demonstrated by this fantastic kit from @educational_innovations . Here a liquid crystal goes from green (room temp) to black (near freezing) showing the heat transfer to a piece of ice through a heat pipe (top) and a similar sized piece of solid copper rod (bottom). As you can see the heat pipe cools much faster than the copper rod even though copper is an excellent conductor of heat. The heat pipe is a thin shell of copper that surrounds a tube of sponge like material filled with some water vapor and sealed with a low pressure inside. The heat is transferred from one end to the other by the phase transition of water- at the warm end water in the sponge evaporates into vapor absorbing heat energy, the vapor travels down the hollow core to the cold end where it condenses into liquid releasing heat energy. The water is wicked by the sponge to the warm end and the process repeats. Heat pipes like this one pull heat away from the CPUs in modern computers preventing them from melting. The amazing heat transfer ability is clearly felt in the fingertips if one places the copper rod and heat pipe into a glass of ice water-the heat pipe immediately gets cold!
Pythagorean Puzzle
Available here:
From Creative Crafthouse: BUY NOW Pythagorean Puzzle
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Pythagorean Puzzle: a proof, in physical form, of one of the most famous equations concerning the sides of any right triangle. The area of a square with side c of the hypotenuse is indeed equal to the sum of the areas of the squares of side a and b. This kit also allows at least two other ways to prove this theorem named after the famous Greek mathematician from 500 BC. One of the most used formulas when calculating vectors in physics classes ?
Polarizing Filter Black Wall Illusion
Amazon lists acrylic tubing at a reasonable price: get a 2 foot long tube with an inner diameter of 1.5 inches for about $17 US. This will accommodate a large marble for the demonstration.
From Amazon: BUY NOW Acrylic Tubing
For a 1.5 inch inner diameter (3.8 cm) tube you will need a 10 inch (25.4 cm) wide sheet to complete a cylinder inside the tube.
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Polarizing Film
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Polarizing Filter Black Wall Illusion: two sheets of polarizing film (with polarization axes oriented at 90 degrees to each other) create this illusion inside an acrylic tube. Physics magic!
spYke Ferrofluid Display Cell
Check out the Etsy page of CZFerro: imaginative and quality ferrofluid display cells
On Etsy: BUY NOW Magnetic Fluid Sculptures
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spYke Ferrofluid Display Cell: another spectacular display cell by czferro featuring a colloidal ferromagnetic liquid in a specially prepared water-alcohol suspension. The orange background highlights the curious spiking behavior of the black ferrofluid- a result of the interplay between magnetic force and surface tension between the liquids.
The Levimoon
Get a levitating moon globe lamp here!
From Amazon: BUY NOW Levitating Moon Globe Lamp
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The Levimoon: this detailed moon globe is an adjustable lamp that levitates! Charged through wireless induction via the base, the moon floats above the Earth while illuminated from the inside to reveal the major features of the lunar surface, and will rotate when given a slight push. This kind of levitation uses a control system with an adjustable electromagnet in a feedback loop with Hall effect sensors which allows for fine tuning of the magnetic field to exactly balance the pull of gravity.
LessMore Bowls
Available here:
From Art of Play: BUY NOW LessMore Bowls
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Learn more about this illusion and its history on the Wikipedia page: Jastrow Illusion
LessMore Bowls: (non-physics post) these serving dishes by @artofplay are a 3D version of the famous Jastrow Illusion, where the lower curve always appears larger than the top one. Note that even after we verify the bowls are the same size, our perception still misleads- a reminder that we need science to transcend the limits of our senses.
Precession of a Gyroscope
Get one here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Gyroscopes
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Precession of a Gyroscope: in defiance of gravity this gyroscope is supported only at one end. The physics and vector nature of angular momentum! Note that as friction slows the rotor of the gyroscope down, the precession rotation rate gets faster and faster. After some energy loss the gyroscope contacts the table and vibrations move the unit around while the angular momentum maintains its orientation.