Coin Escape Puzzle
Available here:
From Grand Illusions: BUY NOW: Coin Escape Puzzle
Another coin escape puzzle (fits US Dollar), the YOT:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Silver Dollar Escape Puzzle
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Coin Escape Puzzle: physics brain teaser- remove the coin without breaking the container or using any tools other than your hands. Of course you spin it to get the quarter out- but exactly how? The solution to this puzzle (like others featured here) relies on some fun basic physics of spinning things. Answer below and swipe to reveal solution.
Pendumonium
These stick man chaotic pendulums are no longer in production. However the product below is very similar and actually offers a wider range of configurations. I will post a video on this version in the future!
From Amazon: BUY NOW Chaos Machine
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Pendumonium: stick man chaotic pendulum with 4 degrees of freedom. Desk toy from the 80's demonstrates chaotic motion of nonlinear systems. Note how the kinetic energy transfers from one limb to another.
Balance Squid
3D printed in your choice of color here:
From Shapeways: BUY NOW Balance Squid
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Balance Squid: everyone’s seen the balance bird- so how about a balancing cephalopod? The weight of the primary tentacles create a center of mass below the squid’s beak- making a system in stable equilibrium on its custom stand. No magnets!
Spinning Liquid Paperweight
Many versions available here
From Amazon: BUY NOW Liquid Wave Paperweight Toy
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Spinning Liquid Paperweight: two immiscible liquids (three if you count the air bubble) are sorted under gravity by density with the densest on the bottom and the lightest on top. If the container is rotated the boundary between the layers forms a parabola due to the added influence of centripetal acceleration. As seen here in 240 fps slow motion, symmetric waves travel and reflect along the curved surface for the first few rotations until damped out via viscosity and friction. The plastic fish have a density between that of the two liquids so they stay at the boundary layer.
Opticum 3 Font
Get your custom message engraved here:
From Creative Crafthouse on Etsy: BUY NOW Custom Opticum Font Message Plaque
This family of fonts is available here: Opticum 3 from Linotype
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Opticum 3 Font: This laser engraved message uses the Opticum 3 font designed by Erken Kagarov, where indirect lighting reveals the symbols hidden in a maze- created by simply typing out your message using this font. Amazing application of geometry and shadow!
TrueBalance
Get the full version (8 disks made of wood) or the mini (6 disks, blue or red plastic):
From Amazon: BUY NOW TrueBalance Coordination Puzzle
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TrueBalance: coordination challenge puzzle- get the six disks, connected by bearing swivels, into a vertical stack by only tilting the handle. Harder than it looks to get each disk’s center of mass above the one below at the same time into the unstable equilibrium final state. The swivels constrain the system, limiting the degrees of freedom, and allowing strange and interesting motion. Kinetic art as a toy!
Ferrofluid Interactive Lava Lamp
Available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Ferrofluid Lava Lamp
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Ferrofluid Interactive Lava Lamp: special ferrofluid infused wax allows manipulation of the blobs of “lava” with a weak magnet, adding an interactive element to the already mesmerizing physics of convective heat flow, Archimedes principle, and immiscible liquids. Love the atomic rocket theme on this updated version of the 1960s classic physics toy.
More here: Ferrofluid Interactive Sculptures
Balancing Bottles
Get one here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Balance Bottle Dock
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Balancing Bottles: serve with physics style this season displaying this design where the combined center of mass of the wine rack and two bottles is directly above the base of the wood rack- because sometimes it takes two bottles of wine to bring life into balance! ??
Hand Boiler
A variety of shapes and colors are available
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Hand Boilers
From Amazon: BUY NOW Hand Boilers
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Hand Boiler: liquid-gas phase transition. The boiling point of dichloromethane is slightly below body temperature - heat from a hand increases pressure in the bottom bulb pushing the purple (dyed) liquid through the glass pipe to the top.
Tea-Light Floating Engine
Get one from my friends at Grand Illusions!
From Grand Illusions Ltd.: BUY NOW Floating Steam Engine
Engines of similar design are used in pop-pop boats
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Tea-Light Floating Engine: a candle powered super simple steam engine. The engine is just a coil of copper tubing filled with water. Steam builds up pushing water out with an explosive jet- which then results in a vacuum in the coil which pulls more water in to repeat the process. The water expulsion is in the form of jet directed out the end of the tube whereas the refill comes back in to the tube from a larger range of angles- so on balance the engine moves opposite to the direction of the jets.
Sand Paperweight Toy
Available from these fine sources:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Sand Globe Toys
From Amazon: BUY NOW Sand Globe Toys: Winter Theme
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Wikipedia has a nice introduction to the amazing world of granular material science
Sand Paperweight Toy: physics of granular materials- matter with unique properties between those of solids and liquids- as demonstrated with this simple toy. Granular materials, such as the sand in this toy, flow but also stack with a characteristic “angle of repose” as can be seen here as pyramid like ridges that form over the images of penguins.
Gallus Lamp
Available here:
From Grand Illusions: BUY NOW Gallus Lamp
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Gallus Lamp: the flame slants and rotates in this unique Swiss design. The glass of the lamp channels the convection and three inlets in the brass base direct the inflow of air into a slow swirl. Lovely engineering and physics of thermodynamics.
Mirror Anamorphic Cup & Saucer
Get a set here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Anamophic Cup & Saucer
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Mirror Anamorphic Cup & Saucer: the cylindrical mirror of the silver cup reflects and reveals the distorted scene of a carousel ride with four horses and the buildings of Macau Heritage City. The shape of the mirror allows for a mathematical operation, a type of affine transformation, to map the distorted image on the plate to the restored image reflected on the cup. A nice example of mirror anamorphosis through the medium of ceramics.
Scandinavian Chimes*
These traditional lights available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Spinning Chimes Candle Holder in Brass
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Scandinavian Chimes*: a simple heat engine- sound and motion from the resulting convection of candle flame. Another in this series of physics with candles- in celebration of the solstice! All parts stamped out of thin metal with assembly required =) *made in China
Plasma Arc Lighter Physics
Get one here- but like any source of flame- use with caution! 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Plasma Arc Lighter
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Plasma Arc Lighter Physics: dual arcs of plasma exceed 1100 C (2000 F) on this flameless lighter. The breakdown voltage of air is about 3000 Volts per mm. Thus the circuit in the lighter must provide about 12,000 volts to produce this 4mm arc. The circuit is a simple one made possible by a transformer with very fine wire windings, a transistor, and a powerful lithium-ion battery (USB rechargeable). The circuit produces high frequency current oscillations in the coils that in turn produce the needed high voltage. Like having a Tesla coil in your pocket!
Pixelated Playing Cards
Available from these fine sources:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Pixel Cards
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Pixelated Playing Cards: what one sees is all about the lighting with this transparent deck of cards. When backlit these poker sized cards become simply a grid of dots- reminding us that what we see not only concerns the physical properties of the perceived object, but also the location of the light source and the frequency and intensity of its emissions.
Infinity Star Mirror
Sold as a tree topper:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Infinity Star Tree Topper
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Infinity Star Mirror: parallel partially mirrored panes create the illusion of depth through the physics of reflection and refraction. Found this physics toy in the holiday decoration section at my local Target store- ? sold as a tree topper ?