Here are some other interesting physics experiments.
Holography - 12/30/02
This was my first attempt to make a three dimensional reflection hologram using a laser diode. The vibration isolation table (left photo) was a 150 lb. granite block sitting on top of four Sorbothane Vibration Isolators (NT55-244, $16). My friend machined the stainless steel mounts (right photo) for the laser diode and Double-Concave (DCV) lens (NT32-988, $18.50). |
The left photo shows the holographic recording plate (PFG-03) with a Lego man behind it. The right photo shows the finished hologram but this photo doesn’t quite do it justice because it was hard to take a good picture with the camera I was using. |
This laser diode stand was one of my machining projects. I have not used it yet. It will give the laser diode a complete 6 degrees of freedom.Holography Links Shoe Box Holography - learn how to make your own holograms HoloKit A-2 - holography kit, includes small laser diode, PFG-03 plates, and JD-4 processing chemicals, $71 YouTube video - demonstrates how holograms are made Home-made Nitrogen Laser - very simple 3D Display Links 3D images in air using laser plasma - read more here 3D Swept-Volume Display - volumetric display by Actuality Systems Holographic Flat Panel Monitor - uses paralax vertical lines |
Solar Furnace - 12/25/02
This 38" x 50" Fresnel lens can focus sunlight like a giant magnifying glass. I think these are used for TV magnifiers. The focal point is blindingly bright and it burns quickly. I imagine this is what it must be like on the surface of Mercury (temperature: 662° F.) Boy, I’m just glad I don’t live on Mercury! |
Penny - before and after. Pennies made after 1982 are 97.5% Zinc (melting temperature: 787.24° F.) This Fresnel lens is powerful enough to melt dimes which are 91.67% Copper (melting temperature: 1982.1° F.)Links Archimedes’ Death Ray - used polished sheilds to burn ships Marshmallow Roaster - Fresnel lens |
Single Slit Diffraction - 4/17/03
Here is a picture of some nice single slit diffraction from my 3 mW green laser pointer. This pattern was made by shining the laser through a tiny adjustable gap in a pair of calipers. One can easily calculate the light’s wavelength from this pattern: l = d x / L = 532 nm where d is the gap, x is the distance between each bright spot, and L is the distance from the wall.Links Single slit diffraction of light - Java applet 350 mW green laser pointer - world’s most powerful, pops balloons, lights matches, cuts tape, burns trash bags, range of 100 miles, hand-held and battery-powered! blue laser pointer - very cool but very expensive, I’ll wait until the price goes down Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) - infrared laser that can intercept missiles and shells |
Plasma Experiment - 1/14/04
In this experiment, we used a Langmuir probe to measure plasma electron density and temperature. In the left photo, you can see the purple plasma glowing inside the observation window. The drawing on the right summarizes what the overall crazy setup looked like. Click here to go to my high voltage page.Links Wingless Electromagnetic Air Vehicles (WEAV) - plasma-based flying saucer proposed by Subrata Roy how to create plasma in a microwave from a grape - YouTube video |
Cryogenics - 3/9/04
Here is a picture of me working with liquid helium which has a boiling temperature of 4.2 K (-452.1° F.). This was a fun experiment to study the lambda point of liquid helium and the superconducting properties of tin. The lowest temperature we reached was about 1.2 K (-457.2° F.). |
Piezoelectric Motor Tester - 2003-2004
This was my undergraduate research project for my school’s experimental gravity program. Our goal was to test the equivalence principle, which states that the ratio of inertial to gravitational mass is the same for all types of matter. We sought to test this hypothesis by using an extremely sensitive cryogenic torsion pendulum composed of masses with differing neutron to proton ratios. This pendulum is located in an abandoned missile bunker in Washington.
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My responsibility was to build a motor to rotate this pendulum. This was to be a very precise motor, composed of stacks of piezoelectric sheering plates. The above photos show a stack being tested at low temperature inside a vacuum can in a liquid nitrogen bath (-320° F.). The picture on the left shows some of my blueprints for this project.
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Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan - 11/7/06
I always enjoy a good excuse to learn something new. After falling off my bicycle, I was given a CAT scan at the emergency room. The left picture shows a side cross-section of my head and the right picture shows a top cross-section (the back of my head is at the bottom of the picture). Notice the lenses inside my eyeballs.Link: 3D Brain - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) rendered in POV-Ray by Paul Bourke |
Mentos - 8/12/07
Link: Classic Experiment and Domino Effect - impressive movies by EepyBird |
Physics Links
Schlieren Images - heat visualizations by Gary Settles
Aerogel - world’s lightest solid, invented by NASA
Super-Kamiokande - Cherenkov detector
Sound Levitation - Sounds wave cause a piece of paper to levitate.