eyeMo Linear Zoetrope
Get one here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: eyeMo Linear Zoetrope
Click here for similar itmes: Zoetropes
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
eyeMo Linear Zoetrope: the physics and psychophysics of motion animation- still images flashed in rapid succession produce the illusion of motion through persistence of vision. This unique version uses an array of lenses, and the images are flashed one by one as the series of lenses moves past the eye. When the image flash rate is above the flicker fusion frequency (approximately 16Hz) we perceive fluid motion- the basis for all movies and TV.
Designer Kaleidoscope
Tom and Carol Paretti create some of the finest kaleidoscope art in the world: Paretti Kaleidoscopes
Other Fine art kaleidoscopes avaibable here from this trusted seller:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Fine Art Kaleidoscopes
More amazing kaliedocsopes from my collection here
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Designer Kaleidoscope: the beautiful symmetry of multiple reflections. Tiny glass beads and a collection of shiny objects provide the viewing material in this side-lit precision kaleidoscope by Carol Verde-Paretti. Invented by the famous Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), the kaleidoscope is an ultimate physics toy and entire field of artistic endeavor.
Spinning Liquid Paperweight
Many versions available here
From Amazon: BUY NOW Liquid Wave Paperweight Toy
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
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.
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
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
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
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
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
Jupiter 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: Jupiter
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
From movaglobes.com: BUY NOW Mova Globe: Jupiter
Jupiter Globe by Mova: rotating counterweighted globe sealed within a clear liquid filled acrylic sphere. The rotation is powered by light that shines through the semi-transparent Jupiter globe 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.
Reflective Wind Spinner
Get one here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Wind Spinners
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Reflective Wind Spinner: this one translates rotating motion into a repeating expanding (or shrinking) circle. An interesting one of many ways to connect rotational motion to translational motion.
The PhiTop
This great little lab stirrer (which I modified to have a transparent top) can be used in many investigations and demonstrations:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Stirrer
Inexpensive concave lenses make great spinning platforms- get one here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Concave Lens Spin Station
Get a PhiTOP in aluminum here (will work nicely in this demo):
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW PhiTOP
From Amazon: BUY NOW PhiTOP
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Induced Current Spin-Up: Spinning magnets from the magnetic stirrer induce electric currents to flow in the brass PhiTOP- these currents then create their own magnetic field which opposes the magnets underneath and pushes the PhiTOP to spin. Credit to astrophysicist Kenneth Brecher, the creator of the PhiTOP and this unique means of using Lenz’s Law to spin it up. This top stands up vertically (when spun with sufficient rotational velocity) due to physics similar to that of the tippe-top. The concave lens keeps the top from wandering off of magnetic stirrer.
Tree Marble Run
Available here!
From Mabro Toys BUY NOW Tree Marble Run
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Tree Marble Run: conifer tree shaped kinetic marble toy cleverly constructed from a single piece of bent rod. Gravity translates to kinetic energy of rotation which carries the marble to the extremity of each branch before it reverses to descend to the next level. An aesthetically simple device that is more challenging to construct than one might think. From Mabro Toys.
Kaleidoscope Symmetry Physics
Lief Colson's store is now Colorfulscopes on Etsy with many designs to choose from- all with precision aligned high quality front surface mirrors:
From Etsy store Colorfulcopes : BUY NOW Precision Teleidoscopes
Amazing next-level fine art kaleidoscopes avaibable here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Fine Art Kaleidoscopes
Get a Gyrobi here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Gyrobi Kinetic Toy
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Kaleidoscope Symmetry Physics: Two adjacent mirrors form the repeating image of a kaleidoscope, but the shape of the image is determined by the angle between the mirrors. This principle is demonstrated with three different symmetrical patterns using this beautiful set of precision teleidoscopes- angles of 36° (blue tube), 30° (green tube), and 22.5° (red tube), creating mandala stars with 5, 6, and 8 points. The angle for any symmetric star pattern of n points is just 180°/n. A teleidoscope is 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 the complex motion of a Gyrobi toy is used as the observation object.
Fresnel Minor Lamp
See the gallery of work by the artist:
Art Gallery: inquire about availability
Sean Agustine March
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Fresnel Minor Lamp: Microlayers of metals and metal oxides allow a slab of glass to transmit a different color than it reflects through thin-film optical phenomena such as interference and selective absorption. In this remarkable art piece, dichroic glass is combined with infinity mirror type multiple reflections creating this dazzling display of physics! Special thanks to @seanaugustinemarch for this amazing addition to my collection.
Polage
Click on any image to see a short video of more polage in action:
From Austine Studios: Polarized Light Art
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Click this link for more physics fun with polarization.
Here is a very nice discussion about polarization that pertains to Polage: Experiments With Polarized Light by Donald E. Simanek
Polage: art with polarized light using polarizing sheets and cellulose to create changing forms and colors. Rotation of the filter allows the artist to incorporate more than one image and produce colorful metamorphosis. This piece was created by Austine Wood Comarow- the main developer of this art form- and this piece is signed "Young Rose 1987 28/50". 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.
Dual Axis Sand Pendulum
Available in many styles and colors:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Sand Pendulum
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Dual Axis Sand Pendulum: the kinetic energy trades back and forth between swinging toward the support arm and then swinging perpendicular to that path tracing Lissajous figures in the sand. The sand slowly dissipates the energy and the traced figures get smaller so the next one fits inside the last. Coupled oscillations like this can occur when multiple modes of motion (degrees of freedom) are available to the system.
Time's Up
Similar timers available from these sources:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Inverted Timer
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Time's Up: inverse of the sandglass- tiny plastic beads are less dense than the water and thus ascend to the top of the container under the influence of a buoyant force in accordance with Archimedes' principle. This timer takes almost exactly 6 minutes to complete shown here at normal speed for the first half of this video, and the second half is condensed to 24 seconds in time-lapse.
Jack in the Box Puzzle
Order this amazing puzzle here:
From Craighill & Art of Play: Order Now: Jack in the Box
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Jack in the Box Puzzle: eight solid aluminum pieces form a textured cube when carefully stacked- yet the same eight pieces can also be packed around a six pronged “jack” to form a second smooth silver cube that is barely larger that the first. Similar to the 2D Matsuyama’s paradox puzzle, a small square is centered on each face of the cube in the second solution. Some stages of assembly shown here under rotation to emphasize the beautiful symmetries in the design and avoid spoilers to the challenge. Created by Rod Bogart and engineered into existence by the talented folks at @craighillcompany, and I send a hearty thank you to my friends at @artofplay for sending me this unique and special puzzle.
Oil Drop Timer
Available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Drop Timer
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Oil Drop Timer: immiscible liquids (typically, colored oils in kerosine) in two connected containers with interesting semi-translucent white and opaque black oils in this variation on the bubble timer theme. The oil in each container falls through a small drop forming hole in between clear walls of acrylic- note how surface tension forms the drops into nearly perfect circles and regulates the size of the drop formation. In addition the drops fall at terminal velocity with smaller drops falling faster than larger ones. One of my favorite inexpensive physics toys.
2-Mirror Kaleidoscope
Lief Colson's store is now Colorfulscopes on Etsy with many designs to choose from- all with precision aligned high quality front surface mirrors:
From Etsy store Colorfulcopes : BUY NOW Precision Teleidoscopes
Amazing next-level fine art kaleidoscopes avaibable here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Fine Art Kaleidoscopes
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
2-Mirror Kaleidoscope: two mirrors, precisely aligned at an 18 degree angle, produce a 10 fold symmetry, where bits of colored plastic morph into stars, pentagons, and flowers as this unique kaleidoscope is turned back and forth. An elegant anodized blue metallic cylinder encapsulates a universe of possible images within. Another amazing kaleidoscope in my expanding collection, made by artist Lief Colson.
Zoetrope Vinyl
Get this amazing vinyl here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Dune Rats Zoetrope Vinyl
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Zoetrope Vinyl: slight adjustment of the iPhone camera frame rate reveals an amazing animation built into this multicolored vinyl release “Hurry Up and Wait” by the Dune Rats. The art is designed to interact with the video process, similar to the animation effect of a flip book, but in a repeating cycle like that of the phenakistiscope, the 1833 invention that started moving media animation that lead to the development of movies and video.