All physicsfun toys

Plasma Globe

Plasma globes are now available in many sizes and levels of quality. Here is a source for reasonably priced quality globes: 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Plasma Globe 

From Amazon: BUY NOW Plasma Globes 

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Plasma Globe: low pressure noble gasses exhibit glow discharge from high voltage, creating plasma filaments that rise upward due to heating- shown here in slow motion. A small high frequency coil at center creates the high voltage potential between the center electrode and the metal coated glass globe. Current flow through the thin gas produces the colorful emission spectra from the gasses

Exothermic Crystallization Heat Pack

Available in many sizes and colors: 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Click Activated Resuable Heat Pack 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Click Activated Reusable Heat Pack 

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Exothermic Crystallization Heat Pack: real-time instant crystallization of a supercooled solution. Solid sodium acetate melts at 137F (58C), but it will stay in liquid form as it cools to room temperature creating a supersaturated and supercooled state- the solution stays in the liquid form until a seed crystal, provided by clicking the metal disk, initiates the solidification. The resulting white crystal is actually quite hot; solid states have lower energy than liquid states and thus the difference in energy is given up as heat that raises the temperature back up to the melting temp, and you can see in the few seconds of the video that the temperature rises from 26C to 34C. This pack is reusable many times- just boil the pack until all the crystal is melted to reset. 

Magni-Orb

These 1970s vintage items are sometimes available on Etsy: 
From Etsy: BUY NOW Magnetic Ball Sculpture

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Magni-Orb: kinetic art as oscillations about a magnetic equilibrium point. The base and sphere are carved from rosewood and have strong magnets embedded within them that produce an attraction. If the sphere is given some initial rotation it will exhibit complex orbits as the energy trades back and forth between potential energy and kinetic energy. The motion eventually damps out due to friction. A creation by Sven Petersen and imported by SAAP Denmark circa 1970. 


Penultimate

Available here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Penultimate Floating Pen 
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Penultimate: magnetic levitation pen. A two dimensional magnetic trap suspends a ball point pen- in this design the point of the pen against a polished acrylic acts as a bearing to let the pen spin with minimal friction. 

Revolution

This vintage toy can sometimes be found on eBay. 
Quality models of the modern version of this physics toy are still available 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Magnetic Levitator 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Levitator 

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Revolution: vintage 2D magnetic levitation- permanent magnets can only produce static equilibrium along two dimensions- here a glass mirror constrains the third dimension, and makes for a nice bearing surface for rotation. This item was sold in the 1990s in mall shops such as Natural Wonders. 

Pentakis Geometric Kaleidoscope

This item is hard to find, but I believe it is in stock here: 
From AHA in Zurich: BUY NOW Pentakis 

for More kaleidoscopes click here

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Pentakis Geometric Kaleidoscope: three triangle mirrors in a pyramid configuration create a stellated dodecahedron. The tapered mirrors are in the form of a 60°-72°-60° isosceles triangle with the apex of the pyramid cut off just right to form the triangle of light that is then reflected up to 60 times to create the star in the center of view. Pentakis by Caspar Schwabe. 


Hoberman Sphere

These are still in production and come in various sizes and colors: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Hoberman Spheres 

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Hoberman Sphere: isokinetic structure. This special assembly of foldable linkages consisting of rigid bars and simple hinges is kinematically over constrained- motion can only occur along the radial direction and the movement of any hinge creates motion in all the joints. The engineering and physics behind deployable space structures! 

Impossible Knot

Follow the link below for full explanation and instructions. 
From mathematician/artist George Hart: Tying the Knot Puzzle 

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Impossible Knot: how did this overhand knot get into this closed continuous band of rubber? It did not get there by cutting the loop, tying a knot, and rejoining it. Amazingly this band was once a rubber o-ring. How was it cut to produce a knot? An “impossible object” related to the Möbius strip by mathematician and artist George Hart- a brain teaser puzzle he calls “Tying the Knot”. 

 

CFL Color Change Glass

A variety of interesting CFL glass is available on Etsy: 
From Etsy: BUY NOW CFL Color Change Glass 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Here is a nice description of the science behind color change due to selective absorption. 

CFL Color Change Glass: this filigree pendent appears green, violet, dark green, and yellow under incandescent light, and clear, blue, purple, and pink under fluorescent light. Special pigments in the glass selectively absorb some frequencies of light while transmitting others, very similar to the color change properties of the gemstone alexandrite. The emission spectrum of a fluorescent lightbulb (a CFL bulb for this video) is deficient in the higher frequencies of the visible spectrum as compared to an incandescent bulb, so the selective absorption by the chemicals in the glass has a dramatic effect on what the eye perceives. Many types of CFL reactive glass, with a variety of color shifts, are now available on the market and go by brand names such as Serum, Potion, and Gemini (all used here) involving oxides of metals such as neodymium (purple/light blue) and holmium (yellow/pink). Thanks to @swanglass for creating this pendant of multiple CFL glass types for my collection.


Magnifying Glass Hologram

Similar vintage holograms are currently available on Etsy in limited quantities: 
From Etsy: BUY NOW Photopolymer True Hologram

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Magnifying Glass Hologram: this photopolymer hologram is so realistic one can look at the circuit board through, or around, the lens in this 1980s reflective hologram. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and incredibly what you see is created by information encoded in a layer thinner than a piece of paper! This interference pattern can encode the entire 3D light field, which can present the original object in amazing detail, including how the light was bending through a lens, when illumination by a point source of light and viewed from an appropriate angle. A favorite hologram in my collection.


Precision Tippe Top

Get a flip over tippe-top here:   

From Amazon: BUY NOW Tippe-Tops 

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Precision Tippe-Top: spinning things often have surprising physics! This aluminum version of the famous flip-over top works better than any I’ve seen. Friction with the desk surface provides a torque that acts on the existing angular momentum of the top to flip it over. The top will stay flipped until the spin rate slows down enough to where its center of mass pulls it back to the resting position.

Diamagnetic Mini Hoverboard

Get one here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW NeoLev Hoverboard 

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Diamagnetic Mini Hoverboard: in this commercially available version a thin pyrolytic graphite sheet floats above a concave powerful neodymium magnet creating an environment with minimal friction- the thin sheet carrying a lightweight foam Hoverboard will swing back and forth for a couple minutes. By NeoLev- with a Back to the Future II theme! Diamagnetic substances develop temporary repulsive magnetic fields only when they are exposed to a magnetic field from another source. Graphite of this sort is the most diamagnetic substance known. 

360° Animated Spinning Hologram

Click this link to buy similar rotating 3D holograms 

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360° Animated Spinning Hologram: this 3D running horse animation is a prototype of the vDisk toy which features a photopolymer type reflective hologram, which interestingly, is computer rendered and digitally produced. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and amazingly all the information needed to create a moving 3D image is encoded in a layer thinner than a piece of paper, and the image is revealed by simply illuminating the hologram by a point source of light. Many thanks to Tim Rowett of Grand Illusions Ltd. for sending me this astonishing example of holographic animation! 


Oil Drop Timer

Get one here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Dolphin Timer 

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Oil Drop Timer with Dolphins: immiscible fluids of different densities stay separate under gravity with the lightest density on top. The density of the plastic dolphins is greater than the density of the top fluid but less than the density of the bottom fluid, so they stay at the boundary in equilibrium. The dolphins have a metal weight in their tails so that the buoyant force will keep them upright even as the liquids trade places (2 minutes shown in time-lapse). Archimedes' Principal at work here at multiple levels. 

Vortex Dome

Get one from David Fowler's online shop: 
From PhysicsHack: BUY NOW: Vortex Dome Kalliroscope 
Made with extraordinary craftsmanship and high quality materials, and sold at a very reasonable price! 

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Vortex Dome Kalliroscope: kinetic art with rheoscopic fluid in a rotating base. Visualizing the invisible- the Vortex Dome is the creation of engineer/inventor and @physicsfun featured artist David Fowler aka @physicshack who creates this modern rotating kalliroscope that generates complex and beautiful structures similar to those seen in the cloud bands of the gas giants of our solar system like Jupiter. The capsule is constructed of high quality glass on a heavy stainless steel base which glides upon an included bearing set for long spin times. 

Tea Candle Steam Engine

Get one from these fine sources: 
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Tea Candle Steam Engine 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Tea Candle Steam Engine 

Other interesting engines available here: Simple Heat Engines

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Tea Candle Steam Engine: a functional piston steam engine complete with boiler and flywheel. Takes about 2 minutes to get going after the candle is lit. The invention that powered the industrial revolution on a desktop! Made by Wilesco.