rotation

Cups used for demo. Two sets of cups taped in different ways.
krecine1

Stable Rollers (Train Wheel Stability)

Two sets of cups are shown taped together. One set of cups is taped with the bottoms touching, so the part you drink from is on the outside for each cup. The other set of cups is taped with the tops touching, so the bottoms are on the outside.
  • Cups taped together in two different orientation can be used to discuss stability and why train wheels are shaped the way they are.
  • Although the set with the bottoms taped together is stable on a surface when stationary, it isn’t stable when rolling down an optical rail. The reason has to do with the effective size of the circle in contact with the rail on each side of the taped cups.
  • The set with tops taped together is stable when rolling and has a similar shape to train wheels, showing how train wheels are constructed for stability.
  • Original idea and deeper explanation available through this video
  • Cups located in L02, section B-4. Use an optical rail from L35.
aneat1

Optical Rotation Bowl

 

Optical Rotation Bowl Demo Picture
Optical Rotation Bowl Demo Picture 2
Optical Rotation Bowl Demo Picture 3

  • Illuminate bowl with polarized light. Bowl, and objects within,
    appear multi-colored when viewed through a polarizer. Rotate polarizer to
    see colors change.
  • Phenomenon is the result of optical rotation. Linearly polarized light gets rotated by molecular composition of bowl; extent of rotation
    depends on wavelength of light, causing angular separation of colors.
  • Located in L01, section B5.