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Tesla Valve Demonstrator

Get one here:

From NikolaToy: BUY NOW: Tesla Valve Demonstrator

Tesla Valve Passive Fluid Diodicity Demonstrator: a 1920 invention by the great Nikola Tesla, his “valve” limits fluid velocity in one direction more than the other. With micro-beads simulating the fluid, this demonstration has two identical such valves in opposite orientations and indeed the flow in one is about twice as fast as the other. Slow motion reveals the flow is more turbulent for one path than the other.

Puzzle in a Puzzle: Extra Square

Get this and other amazing math puzzles here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Extra Square Puzzle

See also: Matsuyama's Paradox

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Puzzle in a Puzzle: 12 pieces fill both large square areas- but the bottom has 5 tiny squares in its center compared to 4 in the top. All 9 tiny squares are identical in size, and the large square areas are also identical. So where did the extra square go? Some fun math involved in the design of this puzzle, which illustrates how the concept of area can challenge our intuitions. Another precision crafted puzzle by Jeux Efcé game shop. 

 

Moire Array Cards

This vintage set sometimes found on eBay. Here are some similar explorations in book from that come with the transparent grids:

From Amazon: BUY NOW: Optical Designs in Motion, and Magic Moire

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Moiré Array Cards: four cards from a 1986 vintage set of paper and acetate prints from TedCo Inc educational supplies. Radial lines exhibit constructive and deconstructive interference patterns that move rapidly from slight motion of the cards relative to each other.


Lippmann Plate Interference Photography

Learn more about the physics and chemisty of this process:
An excelelnt video describing the Lippmann Process by my friend Steve Mould
Page by the artist/photographer: Lippmann Plates

The artist sometimes drops photos for sale here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Lippman Photos

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Lippmann Plate: an amazing alternative method for recording images with film- the chemistry of exposure of silver halide crystals embedded in gelatin is the same, but instead of selecting layers of pigments, very fine grained crystals record standing wave interference patterns. The downside- colors of the recorded image are only visible from a particular viewing angle when the plate is illuminated by a special diffuse white light source. The upside- the wavelengths of the colors seen actually map to the actual spectra recorded unlike the color mixing of standard photography and printing- and the image almost looks 3D. This image was produced by Jonathan Tod Hilty @amphetadreamer 

 

 

 

 

Magnetic Field Demonstrator 

Get this simple but statisfying device here:

From Amazon: BUY NOW: Magnetic Field Demonstrator

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Magnetic Field Demonstrator: visualizing the invisible with an array of encapsulated iron wire segments reveals the field of this magnet and its orientation in the space around it. The small ferromagnetic rods become temporary magnets in the presence of the field, and each responds by aligning their north and south poles along the field direction. A simple tool for revealing the invisible components of our universe. 

Centripetal Spinning Wine Glass

Get this amazing wine glass here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Spinning Wine Glass

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Centripetal Stemmed Wine Glass: pair your favorite wine with some physics! Engineered with precise symmetry and quality bearings in the base, this glass will spin for minutes, providing a means of aeration that is amazing to see- and for small pours your wine can defy gravity! With a flick of the hand the surface of your wine will form into a vertical open cylinder that clings to the spinning glass. 


Mini-Mirascope

Similar devices available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Mirascope 

these tiny parabolic mirrors available here: small parabolic glass mirrors 
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Mini-Mirascope: using two small parabolic mirrors I bought on eBay, this is my attempt to create a miniature mirascope- and it works okay if the item is small enough, such as the orange bead seen here. The image of the bead is not a hologram and is produced solely by reflection of light rays between the concave front surface mirrors. The mirascope effect was discovered circa 1969 by Landry and Elings at UC Santa Barbara. 

Refraction Vanishing Act

This glass device is available from this shop in Germany: 
From experimentis-shop.de: BUY NOW Vanishing Glass Demonstration or here: Glass Demo

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Refraction Vanishing Act: the liquid (immersion oil) in this glass tube has the same index of refraction as the glass. When the oil covers the glass rod inside the tube, the rod becomes invisible! Immersion oil is used with high resolution microscopes and designed to have the same index of refraction as the glass slide and objective lens. This physics puzzle demonstration was handcrafted by a glass maker in Germany and is sold by experimentis, the online shop for physics. 


Helixcore Press-to-Spin Fidget

Get a nicely printed Helixcore here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Helixcore Press-to-Spin Fidiget

or print one yourself: 
From MakersWorld: Helixcore Fidget 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Helixcore Press-to-Spin Squishy Ball: when compressed end to end a hidden central helical rod provides a path to set the shell into rotational motion while a rubber band snaps it back into a ball shape which then coasts on skateboard bearings. Stability from conservation of angular momentum on display with this improved take on the spinner. 

Orbifact Fidget

Get the 3D print files here:

From Thangs: Download NOW: Orbifact Fidget Print

Orbifact Fidget: a clever gear linkage design allows this octahedron to turn inside out so to speak. Composed from blue and gold silk filament this geometric object is ornamented like an Fabergé egg. Fascinating geometry to explore in this fun 3D print creation of maker and designer extraordinaire @ruven_bals - special thanks to Ruven for printing this for my collection!

 

Four Mirror Kaleidoscope 

Other kaleidoscopes by this artist: Apres la Pluie

High quality kaleidocsopes available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Fine Art Kaleidoscopes

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Four Mirror Kaleidoscope: this addition to my collection is unique and strange for two reasons- instead of the usual hexagon pattern (3 mirrors) we have a square grid layout (4 mirrors), and on the end where the light comes through, an odd hologram of an eye as if the scope is looking back at you! Weird and wonderful from artist Dominic Stora of Après la Pluie gallery.


Resonace Demonstrator 

Get the 3D print files here:

From Thingverse: Download NOW: Resonance Demo

Resonance Demonstrator: three mass-spring systems, each designed to have a specific natural frequency of oscillation. Rapid shaking of the base excites the middle mass in to large amplitude motion while the other two remain relatively motionless. Moving the base slowly excites the large mass, and shaking such that the rate is between these two frequencies excites the mass on the longer leaf spring. A demonstration of frequency response- how periodic forces of small amplitude can produce large amplitude oscillations by matching the natural frequency of the system. A delightfully simple design by Nathan Usevitch and expertly printed by my friend Jason Veatch.

Kinetic Traced Hyperboloid

This hard to find sculpture is currently unavailable, but here is clock version:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Kinetic Hyperboloid Clock

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Hyperbolic Hole Kit

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Kinetic Traced Hyperboloid: a straight rod glides through a symmetric pair of curved holes in this kinetic sculpture based on the hyperboloid, the 3D ruled surface traced by an offset revolved straight line. This version is made of anodized aluminum and rotates via gearing and a motor powered by two AA batteries in the base. 

Balance Mobile

Get a similar sculpture here: Desk Dynamic Art

Balance Mobile: four balanced rods with weighted ends connected in equilibrium under gravity, with balance points engineered such that the rods are horizontal and parallel to each other. The strings are slightly elastic allowing the rods to rotate back and forth after a slight push by hand, or interacting with a slight breeze. 

 


MetMo Singularity Spolling Disk

Get these new precision engineered disk designs here:

From MetMo: Order NOW: Sigularity Disks 

Watch Steve's video here: YouTube: Singularity Disc

MetMo Singularity: an innovation on the classic Euler’s Disk physics toy- a design that distributes mass to optimize longest run times including a base with an optimally smooth glass surface. This video compares a standard coin shaped disk with the optimized frustum design, and indeed the new shape extends the spol time significantly! This improved physics toy comes from the collaboration of the @metmo.eng team and @stevemouldscience and I’m delighted to add it to my collection- a fun new take on the “spolling” coin phenomenon, a motion that combines spinning and rolling. 

The Perpetual Pendulum

Get this well crafted device here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: The Perpetual Pedulum

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The Perpetual Pendulum: scientific kinetic art featuring the demonstration classic “simple pendulum” of a mass at the end of a string, made famous by Galileo who first noted the mathematical regularity of such systems. In this device the mass is also a magnet, and four AA batteries and a simple electromagnetic kicker circuit in the base gives a tiny push to the magnet upon each swing (making a slight click sound), compensating for energy dissipated by friction- and keeping the system in motion for many months! I’ve modified my device with pegs that alter the length to the rotation axis- note the mass still achieves equal height on both sides (conservation of energy). Designed and produced by Wylie Wisnewski.

 

Euler's Disk

Get one here: 
From Amazon: BUY NOW Euler's Disk 

Wikipedia has an excellent introduction to the physics of Euler's Disk 

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Euler’s Disk: (best with sound on) this classic physics toy exhibits the motion of a “spolling” coin, a motion that combines spinning and rolling. Designed with a large mass and a special smooth beveled edge that maximizes the time of spin. amazingly, the contact point between the disk and the mirror can reach a speed of more than 200 mph. This video includes two cuts to 240fps slow motion to show the curious motion. Watch the end with the sound on!