Magnetic Vieiwing Films Comparison
The classic green film can be found here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Classic Green Magnetic Viewing Film
The high-def gold film can be found here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: High-Def Magnetic Viewing Film
The color magnetic viewing film can be purchased here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Color Magnetic Viewing Film
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Viewing Films: making the invisible visible with four versions of magnetic viewing film. 1) the classic green Magneview film from the 1990s with tiny bubble cavities filled with oil and flakes of nickel, 2) silver high-definition film with smaller cavities, 3) golden high definition film with reflective crystals of some kind in the tiny capsules, and 4) the most recent invention featuring capsules filled with suspended magnetic nanoparticles producing different colors from orange (low field strength) to blue (high field strength). The field structure of three magnetic objects is compared, a simple dipole, the magnetic rotor of a small motor, and a fridge magnet with weird domain structure.
Color Gradient Magnetic Film
Get this new technology here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Color Magnetic Viewing Film
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Color Gradient Magnetic Film: making the invisible visible and revealing the hidden beauty of the physics in our everyday world. The field structure of six magnetic objects can be seen here. Staring with a simple dipole neodymium in the center and going clockwise from the top left: fridge magnet with stripe pattern, magnetic rotor of a small motor, ring of poles of a stator for a stepper motor, vintage ferrous classroom “dipole”, and a coded interlocking neodymium magnet. Microscopic cavities in this thin film are filled with suspended magnetic nanoparticles that interact with magnetic fields producing different colors from orange (low field strength) to dark blue (high field strength).
Rubik's Phantom
Get this version of the famous cube here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Rubik's Phantom
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Rubik’s Phantom: is the 3X3 cube not challenging enough for you? Here’s one where the colors are activated by the heat of your hands (or better- a light bulb) and fade back to dark as you try to solve. A thermochromic twist to this most famous of puzzles. The heating and cooling was sped up by a factor of three here to keep it interesting.
Fire Piston
Get a set here:
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Fire Piston Demonstration
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Fire Piston: rapid adiabatic compression creates enough heat to ignite and incinerate a small ball of cotton. Similar physics to how Diesel engines ignite fuel without a sparkplug. Adiabatic processes are those in which heat does not flow from the system to the environment, achieved here by the short duration of the compression- to get a flame it has to be done quickly with some force!
Electromagnetic Levitation Module
Get this kit here (comes complete as shown in my video):
From engineDIY: BUY NOW: Magnetic Levitation Module
The featured sculture is by Bathsheba Grossman, affordable and beautiful math art available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Math Sculptures
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Electromagnetic Levitation Module: this engineered control system uses adjustable electromagnets (four copper coils) and and two Hall effect magnetic field sensors (held firm embedded in white silicone) to levitate an 5cm diameter neodymium magnet platform about 3 cm in mid-air. A feedback loop informed by the Hall effect sensors allows fine tuning of the magnetic field to exactly balance the pull of gravity, and is powered by a standard USB connection. The platform also rotates, perfect for showcasing one of my metal 3D printed mathematical sculptures by Bathsheba Grossman.
Impossible Braid
Get a kit and make mystery braid braclets here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Impossible Braid Bracelet
Here is a great video on how to make the mystery braid
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
See other Impossible Objects in my collection.
Mystery Braid: challenge- how can three strands be braided if both sets of ends are connected? A favorite in my collection of “impossible objects”, this leather key fob is braided from a single piece of leather, constructed by making two parallel slits but not cutting the ends. The solution (demonstrated here with red felt) is well known to those in the field of leatherwork- due to a twist of topology it’s possible to make this braid if the number of left strand over right crossings equals the times the right strand crosses over the left. Four strands braided this way is not mathematically possible, but 3, 5, or any odd number can be done!
Vacuum Engine
Get this amazing engine here:
From EngineDIY: BUY NOW: Vacuum Flame Licker Engine
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Flame Eater Engine: also called a vacuum engine- operates by opening a valve during the piston intake stroke to pull in a bit of burning gas from the flame- the valve closes and the trapped hot gas expands pushing the piston. The exhaust stroke then has the gas cool, contract, and get pushed out the same valve right before the process repeats. Slow motion captures the intake of the flame through the valve/mouth at the cylinder head which gives the appearance that flame is being chewed- hence the name. Note this engine design does not need to warm up and starts instantly, but is very inefficient as only a fraction of the burning fuel (alcohol) is used by the thermodynamic process each cycle.
Colored Caustic Curve Lamp
Get this inexpesive lamp here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: LED "Rainbow" Lamp
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Caustic Curve Lamp: not what I was expecting but still fun physics- this night light is sold as a rainbow projector, and typically a rainbow type spectrum would be produced by directing a white light through a diffraction grating or prism. This device instead uses five colored LEDs that are projected onto a curved semi polished surface. When light rays reflect off a curved surface they concentrate into bright patches called caustics, often with cusp singularities (sharp points), and this particular surface was designed to stretch the light beam from each LED into a caustic arc. So this device does not produce the ROYGBIV spectrum, but the overlapping colored caustic projections do look amazing.
Mesmoid Kinetic Object
Get this desk toy set here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: MESMOID Kinetic Object
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Mesmoid Kinetic Object: an elegant physical pendulum for the desk top demonstrates curious periodic motion. The pendulum, precision machined out of weighty polished brass, is a cylinder with an eccentric circle cut out. When set in to motion on the supplied smooth black marble slab, the Mesmoid will rock back and forth for three minutes or so until friction slowly dissipates the kinetic energy and the system comes to rest. The latest in a series of amazing kinetic objects created and designed by physicist and artist Kenneth Brecher.
Dual Spiral Sun Catcher
Get this inexpensive sun catcher here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Spiral Illusion Sun Catcher
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Dual Spiral Sun Catcher: hanging by a chain this kinetic art sculpture of steel wire is shaped into connected helixes- one twisting clockwise and another coiled counterclockwise. When spinning the rotational motion creates translational motion both upwards and downwards along the vertical direction, and in the center some crystal beads rotate. Under a spotlight (or catching the sun) refracted rays from the crystals swoop and swirl.
Spectrum Newton's Cradle
Get this colorful version here:
From MoMA: BUY NOW: Rainbow Newton's Cradle
Get an amazing large version here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Giant Newton's Cradle
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Spectrum Newton’s Cradle: Art meets science in this rainbow inspired seven sphere model captured in slow motion. The sound you hear is real as recorded in 240 fps mode. The physics of conservation of momentum and conservation of kinetic energy combine to describe the motion of this famous desk toy. Produced by Block Design for the MoMA gift shop.
Magnetic Levitation in 1D
Get one from these fine sources:
From Educational Innovations: BUY NOW Floating Ring Magnet Set
From Amazon: BUY NOW Floating Ring Magnet Set
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Magnetic Levitation in 1D: a stack of dipole magnets. Note how the spacing between any two magnets is proportional to weight of how many magnets there are above the gap. Gravity vs Magnetism.
Reflection and Refraction of a Cyan Laser Pointer
Get this beautiful new color of laser pointer here:
From eBay: BUY NOW: 488nm Laser Pointer (Cyan)
Blocks of polished acrylic available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: clear acrylic block
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Reflection and Refraction of a Cyan Laser Pointer: an affordable laser pointer with a color that is pretty new on the market- 488nm producing a beautiful hue of blue. The beam is made brightly visible as internal reflection constrains most of the laser light to propagate along the interior of this block of acrylic (similar to the physics of fiber optics).
Gravimorph Kinetic Art: Wobbly
The kinetic art of Kazunari Higuchi is available from this source:
From Nozaki Limited: BUY NOW: Gravimorph KInietics (fine art pricing)
Check out this video of a short tour of a recent gallery exhibit to see the whimsical and unexpected motion displayed in his art.
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Gravimorph Wobbly: kinetic art on an inclined plane- a second example of the subtle yet intricate kinetic objects of Kazunari Higuchi whose work features unintuitive motion of uniquely shaped objects powered only by the transformation of gravitational potential energy to the kinetic energy of motion as the pieces descend. A rotator in the shape of an abacus bead rolls between two cylindrical bars which consistently produces the curious wobble motion. This version of his work is offered as a precision made (and high-end) desk toy via GRAVIMORPH of Nozaki Limited.
Reflecto
This vintage toy sometimes availble from these sources:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Vintage Reflecto Toy
From eBay: Search Now: Vintage Relfecto Toy
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
See also: Corner Cube Reflector
Reflecto: a vintage toy that allows exploration of symmetries comprised of three mirrors (each at right angles to each other) using colorful vinyl stick and peel decals. This toy has the same geometry as that of a trihedral retroreflector “corner cube” used by surveyors where light rays entering such a mirrored prism always exit along a parallel path. Made of chrome plated plastic and produced and sold by Tedco in 1989.
Diamagnetic Trap Levitation
Get a very similar device here:
From Kontax: BUY NOW: Diamagnetic Trap Levitator
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Diamagnetic Trap Levitation: tiny neodymium cube magnet trapped between two diamagnetic discs of pyrolytic graphite. Diamagnetic substances only have magnetic fields of their own when placed in an external magnetic field from another source- here the cube shaped magnet supplies the field. Diamagnetic fields are pretty weak, so the top magnet is adjusted to help lift the tiny magnet against gravity where the slightest air currents can send it dancing. A creation of Martin Simon in my collection since 1999.
Gravimorph Kinetic Art: Spindle
The kinetic art of Kazunari Higuchi is available from this source:
From Nozaki Limited: BUY NOW: Gravimorph KInietics (fine art pricing)
Check out this video of a short tour of a recent gallery exhibit to see the whimsical and unexpected motion displayed in his art.
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Gravimorph Spindle: kinetic art on an inclined plane- an example I acquired a couple years ago of the subtle yet intricate kinetic objects of Kazunari Higuchi whose work always features unintuitive motion of uniquely shaped objects coupled with an intriguing audio experience- and powered only by the transformation of gravitational potential energy to the kinetic energy of motion as the pieces descend down the slanted channel. This version of his work is offered as a precision made (and high-end) desk toy via GRAVIMORPH of Nozaki Limited.
Cylindrical Lens Puzzle
A similar puzzle (but taking advantage of horizontal symmetry with the words "DIOXIDE GLASS") available here:
From Haines Educational: BUY NOW Cylindrical Lens Puzzle
Or better: make your own version with this acrylic rod:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Clear Acrylic Rod
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Cylindrical Lens Puzzle: this cylinder of acrylic acts as lens that focuses light along a line rather than a point- and thus it can invert an image along its symmetry axis. Puzzle question: the word "GREEN" is flipped by this lens but the word "TOMATO" seems unaffected. Is the physics significantly different for red wavelengths as compare to green? Or is there another explanation/trick?