Biplane Balance
Get this fun 3D puzzle/physics toy here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Biplane 3D Puzzle
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Biplane Balance: this cute kinetic biplane model, complete with pilot, is actually a 163 piece 3D puzzle. When assembled the plane + counterweight form a system with a center of mass below the pivot contact point, creating a situation of stable equilibrium about which oscillations can be induced, trading kinetic and potential energy until friction damps the system to rest. A fun build made by ROKR puzzles.
Magnetic Tensegrity Sculpture
Available from my friends at Grand Illusions Ltd.:
From Grand Illusions: BUY NOW Magnetic Tensegrity Kit
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Magnetic Tensegrity Sculpture: a thin cable is held under tension via magnetic attraction of two magnets to levitate a metal ring in defiance of gravity. Amazingly the cable can be placed in any orientation and the ring remains suspended. Another fun precision machined kit to assemble by Kontax Engineering Ltd.
Boulliant de Franklin (Hand Boiler) Collection
A variety of shapes and colors are available
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Hand Boilers
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Bouillant de Franklin Collection: my collection of vintage hand boilers, physics toys of blown glass that feature a reversible liquid-gas phase transition and demonstrates the relationship between temperature and pressure in an enclosed volume. The dyed fluid within each is typically dichloromethane which is in both liquid and vapor states. Heat from a hand, or from this catering warming tray, increases pressure in the bottom bulb pushing the liquid to the top bulb. Originally made famous by Benjamin Franklin, the first to describe the physics of its operation.
Self Propelled Homopolar Motor
Here are disk magnets I used for the "wheels":
From Amazon: BUY NOW Neodymium Disk Magnets
From Amazon: BUY NOW Neodymium Disk Magnets
Wire that looks and works well is just 10 gauge ground wire. Inexpensive and available at any local hardware store-- or order a small quantity here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW 10 gauge Copper Wire
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Wikipedia has some good details on the physics of homopolar motors
Self Propelled Homopolar Motor: cylindrical neodymium magnets supply the static magnetic field for this motor and become the wheels of a very simple vehicle with an AA battery as the energy source. As soon as both ends of the copper wire make contact, an electric current will flow which in turn induces a magnetic field around the wire. This induced field around the copper wire will then interact with the neodymium magnets on each end causing them to spin- a wonderful example of a motor with minimal components.
Rattlesnake Eggs
Get a set here!
From Amazon: BUY NOW Buzzing Magnet Set
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Rattlesnake Eggs: polished barium-strontium ferrite ceramic magnets influence each other when many centimeters apart, demonstrating the well known but mysterious action at distance via magnetic fields. Sometimes sold as “buzzers” these magnets come together with multiple bounces creating a characteristic zipper sound. Many shops and online vendors incorrectly label these as hematite- a completely different substance that does not magnetize well.
Light Pipe Sculpture
Get an affordable pre-bent light pipe demo here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Light Pipe Demo
Make your own abstract light pipe sculpture, an inexpesive heat gun is the only needed tool:
Tool from Amazon: BUY NOW: Heat Gun
Light Pipe Sculpture: internal reflection constrains most of the laser light to propagate along the bent acrylic rod- the physics of fiber optics. This abstract sculpture was created by applying a heat gun to a 3/8” diameter acrylic rod. The laser pointer used here is blue at a wavelength of 445nm.
Reflective Kinetic Sculpture
Similar kinetic sculptures powered by wind available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Square Wave Kinetic
Reflective Kinetic Sculpture: this one translates rotating motion into repeating expanding (or shrinking) square-ish reflections. Directing two colored beams of light enhances the effect. An interesting one (of many) ways to connect rotational motion to translational motion. The base has a silent motor and connects to power via USB.
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Rheoscopic Fluid Flow Toy
Similar fluid flow toys available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Fluid Flow toys
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Rheoscopic Fluid Flow Toy: this simple toy reveals the complexity of turbulent fluid flow as liquid travels between chambers through a series of bends. Compressing both chambers with equal pressure can temporarily halt the flow and show the lingering turbulence induced by the acceleration of the viscous fluid around the u-turn bends. Tiny flakes of mica are suspended in the fluid and these platelets reflect light only when the fluid motion brings them into a certain orientation. Oddly satisfying to the extreme.
Impossible Bolt
Only available from these aritist/craftsmen:
From twobrassmonkeys: BUY NOW: Impossible Bolt & Nuts
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Impossible Bolt: one nut threads on clockwise as normal- the other threads on counterclockwise on the same bolt! Not impossible- but carefully engineered and machined. This puzzling curiosity was inverted by Scott Eliott and machined in solid brass by puzzle crafters Steve Nicholls and Ali Morris of TwoBrassMonkeys.
GIF Film Card Lenticular II
New tech lenticular cards available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Next Gen Lenticular Motion Card
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
GIF Film Card II: Next generation lenticular motion that can stack many images to produce two seconds of video motion on a physical semitransparent card. Classic lenticular motion is produced by tiny cylindrical lens arrayed in such a way that allows for one of multiple images (usually fewer than 5) to show depending on the angle of view. This multiple image high resolution lenticular features three scenes from a famous series about a fictional and infamous Heisenberg.
Maxwell's Dynamical Top: Historical Replica
Get a similar and well made modern take on this device:
From Kontax via Grand Illusions: BUY NOW: Maxwell's Dynamical Top
Maxwell’s Dynamical Top: one of my favorite demonstrations of the strange properties of rotating bodies- shown here with a 1/2 scale but exacting replica of the famous “Dynamical Top” created and demonstrated by the great physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1857. When this brass bell shaped top is spinning an interesting stability can occur- push on the pointed stem and the top will push back, forcing the stem against that object, and friction will cause the stem to roll along and trace the edge of the object. Note- magnets are NOT involved here. The key to this design is to make the contact point/tip of the top at its own center of mass, then any frictional force in contact with the stem will produce a torque about the contact point at a right angle to the direction of friction that creates the stabilizing force (students of physics may recognize application of the right hand rule here). This beautiful historical replica iwas created by master machinist Jim Peever @machinedmarvels.
Solenoid Magnetic Accelerator
Get this and similar devices here:
From EngineDIY: BUY NOW: Steel Ball Cyclotron Accelerator
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Solenoid Magnetic Accelerator: six electromagnet coils push a steel ball to terminal velocity. Each coil is triggered to briefly energized only when an infrared led and sensor circuit detects the presence of the ball. The steel ball’s speed seems limited by the strength of the temporary magnetic field and the friction it encounters from the track. This ring configuration demonstrates proof of concept for a means of accelerating steel marbles and I hope to incorporate these coils in other marble run designs I will share in the future. Uses a 12V power supply.
Wilberforce Pendulum
Classroom demonstration models are available here
From Amazon: BUY NOW Wilberforce Pendulum Apparatus
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Wikipedia has a good introduction to the physics: Wilberfocre Pendulum
Wilberforce Pendulum: the mass and spring properties of this device are tuned such that the kinetic energy transfers back and forth between bouncing and twisting in this special coupled harmonic oscillator system invented by physicist Lionel Wilberforce in 1896. If any system is free to oscillate in two or more ways, the energy can transfer between the different modes- note that the bouncing completely stops for a bit, and then the twisting briefly stops- and back and forth with a period of energy transfer at about 15 seconds between the bounce mode and the twist mode. Here the mass and rotational inertia (altered by moving the four small masses in and out) are adjusted so that the resonance frequency of twisting is equal to the resonance frequency of bouncing. This system will complete up to 5 cycles (from rotation only to bounce only and back) before the energy is dissipated.
Micro Balance Birds
Get these tiny toys here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Small Balacing Birds & Stands
Get a "standard" balance bird here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Balance Birds
See other balancing toys and sculptures in my collection
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Micro Balancing Birds: how small can a balance bird be and still work? More mass towards the wing tips creates a center of mass below the beaks of these birds, making systems that are in stable equilibrium. Bonus- they are fluorescent under UV! Obviously no magnets used- instead the magic comes from engineering the center of mass to be outside the body of the object and below the balance point. These tiny birds and conical stands are sold on Amazon as party favors- and they work great (although an obvious choking hazard for little kids).
GIF Film Card Lenticular
This new tech lenticular card available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Next Gen Lenticular Motion Card
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
GIF Film Card: Next generation lenticular motion that can stack 100 images to produce two seconds of video motion on a physical transparent card. Classic lenticular motion is produced by tiny cylindrical lens arrayed in such a way that allows for one of multiple images (usually fewer than 5) to show depending on the angle of view. This card features fanart of Herta in the Honkai Star Rail rpg
Lumora Glowing Gas Collection Display
Get this device and gas tube collection here:
From HaloPlasma: BUY NOW: Lumora Display
Lumora Glowing Gas Collection Display: show off your gas collection with this special display stand designed to excite the gases within the tubes to glow. A high frequency/high voltage field transmits energy through the glass to excite electrons to higher energy levels in atoms of these gases, the electrons then transition back to ground states revealing the unique color of each gas, which is actually due to a mix of photon frequencies emitted from electron energy transitions specific to each element- the basis of spectroscopy. The amazing Lumora display stand is a design and product of HaloPlasma.com
Arrow on Mobius Strip
Get the 3D print stl files here:
From printables: download now: Mobius Strip with Arrow
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Arrow on Möbius Strip: on the geometry of a Möbius strip a right pointing arrow points left after one trip around, a second trip restores the original orientation. This mathematical property is called non-orientability, and is also true of Klein bottles which I’ve posted about. I love how this 3D printed model, designed and produced by Wes Pegden, allows one to physically manipulate and intuit this somewhat obscure mathematical property.
Tapered Mirror Kaleidoscopes
These precision kaleidoscopes are crafted from front surface mirrors and other specialty materials, many with innovative design and construction techniques:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Kaleidoscopes by Marc Tickle
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
See more kaleidoscopes in my collection.
Tapered Mirror Kaleidoscopes: hidden within these colorful tubes are tapered mirrors, 2 rolling glass spheres, and 1 dichroic glass reflector. These elements combine to produce the dynamic and magical images seen through the view window as the device is slightly tilted back and forth and brought in and out of a bright light source. The first design uses 3 mirrors to create the hexagonal symmetries, the second design uses 4 mirrors to produce the infinite cylinder effect. These unique teleidoscope designs are but two of many creations by artist Marc Tickle. Invented by the famous Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), the kaleidoscope is an ultimate physics toy and entire field of artistic endeavor.