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The Museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception

The Exploratorium is one of my favorite places in the world, and this page is dedicated to @physicsfun videos of some of the amazing exhibits on display at the museum. I will try to post one video from the museum each week. Thanks to the Exploratorium and its staff for making these short videos possible. I'm honored to be allowed access to the museum to create this content.
If you visit (or live in) San Francisco, the Explroatorium is a must see: Plan your visit

Convection Currents at the Exploratorium
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Convection Currents @theexplainers: intricate and delicate structures called schlieren emerge in convective heat flow as hot, less dense water rises off of an electric heating element. A spot light shines through a thin glass walled tank of water with the L-shaped heating element immersed. The convective flow casts a shadow because the index of refraction of water is temperature dependent, with n decreasing at higher temperatures. Buoyancy, turbulence, heat transfer, physical optics- so much physics behind these mesmerizing patterns! 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #physicsfun #turbulence #heat #schlieren #physicstoy #kineticart #density #convection #indexofrefraction #science #scienceisawesome

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Learn more about this exhibit here:

Convection Currents Exhibit

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Water Spinner at the Exploratorium
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Water Spinner @exploratorium: The parabolic surface of a contained liquid under the combination of centripetal acceleration and the pull of gravity. Centripetal acceleration increases proportional to the distance from the axis of rotation, so the liquid stacks highest far from the center. Also, a faster spin rate results in a deeper and steeper parabola- note how the surface flattens out as the exhibit comes to rest. Additional physics- a pair of waves (from the initial impulse) travel along the parabolic surface of the contained liquid, creating temporary peaks and valleys as they constructively and deconstructively interfere. As seen here in 240 fps slow motion, the symmetric waves travel and reflect along the curved surface for the first few rotations until damped out via viscosity and friction.🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about this exhibit at the Exploratorium- and where to find many of the items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #centripetalacceleration #spincam #angularmomentum #parabola #parabolic #pascalsprinciple #hydrostatics #spinning #kineticart #science #scienceisawesome

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Read more about this exhibit here:

Exploratorium Science Snack: Water Spinner

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For those that want the math!
A youTube tutorial Spinning Water: The Mathematical Explanation

Sand Shaker at the Exploratorium
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Sand Shaker @exploratorium: a thin layer of white sand is subjected to vibrations on top of a circular plate in this exhibit created by artist Charles Sowers at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. When granular substances like sand are rapidly shaken, they often take on the properties of fluids through a process called vibrofluidization. Strange non-Newtonian fluid behavior is seen in this sand when the frequency of vibration is adjusted to 16Hz (shown here in 240fps slow motion)- amazing complexity arising from simple and regular motion! 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #vibration #frequency #granular #sand #vibrofluidized #nonnewtonianfluid #fuiddynamics #science #scienceisawesome

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See more photos and video of this amazing exhibit at the artist's online gallery: Sand Shaker by Charles Sowers


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Bouncing Ball at the Exploratorium
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Bouncing Ball @exploratorium : a steel ball bounces more than 230 times (counted using slow motion video) before coming to rest in this exhibit demonstrating the physics of a high coefficient of restitution. The bottom plate is amorphous steel and attached firmly to a massive block of concrete to enable the ball to retain as much kinetic energy as possible after each collision. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #collision #conservationofmomentum #coefficientofrestitution #physicstoy #kineticart #bounce #bouncingball #elastisity #science #scienceisawesome

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The exhibit features a very massive block of concrete to provide inertia to the base:

Wikipedia has the details on the physics of bouncing objects.
And the Exploratorium "snack" on the application of this physics to sports: Bouncing Baseballs.

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Turntable at the Exploratorium
Some interesting history of the Turntable, one of longest running exhibits at the Exploratorium.

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Catenary Arch at the Exploratorium
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Catenary Arch @exploratorium : when an arch is built in the shape of this special mathematical curve (even with slippery blocks) the compression forces between each block are always parallel to the curve- the stack is stable with no tendency to buckle. The catenary is the exact shape of a chain hanging by its ends, also known as the hyperbolic cosine. Famously used in architecture, from the buttresses of Notre Dame to the Gateway Arch. 🌟With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #catenary #hyperboliccosine #gatewayarch #alysiod #architecture #catenaryarch #uniformload #physics #physicstoy #physicsfun #science #scienceisawesome

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Catenary Curves at the Exploratorium.

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Paul Hewitt wonderfully describes the physics of the catenary.

String Hyperboloid at the Exploratorium
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String Hyperboloid @exploratorium : 26 strings held straight by hanging weights can be rotated as a set to produce a hyperboliod- the quadric surface related to the revolution of hyperbola around its axis of symmetry. Note that although this 3D shape is curved, an a infinite set of straight lines (like those of the strings) lie on its surface. Turning the top disk of this exhibit raises the weights on each string so that when it is released the potential energy will transfer back and forth to kinetic energy of rotation until the energy is damped out due to friction. 🌟 With thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to get similar hyperboloids and other amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #math #mathtoy #mathstoy #geometry #physics #physicstoy #hyperbola #hyperboloid #conicsection #ruledsurface #hypnogizmo #science #exploratorium #scienceisawesome

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This exhibit reminds me of an amazing geometric sculpture where I used to work: Tractricious by Robert Wilson, founding director of Fermi National Accelerator Lab

Spindrift at the Exploratorium
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Spindrift @exploratorium: surprisingly complex and graceful motions arise when rings are set to roll on a parabolic surface in this exhibit created by artist Shawn Lani at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. As the energy of the ring's center of mass trades to and fro from potential to kinetic, odd motions such as flip-flops, figure eights, and quick spins can occur in a determined but chaotic fashion. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #rolling #kineticart #kineticenergy #potentialenergy #gravity #chaos #chaoticmotion #energytransfer #science #scienceisawesome

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See more photos and video of this exhibit at the artist's online gallery: Spindrift and other installations by Shawn Lani


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Kraken Automata at the Exploratorium

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Magnetic Fluid Patterns at the Exploratorium

Magnetic Fluid Patterns @exploratorium: a dark ferromagnetic fluid, trapped in a small gap between two plates of glass, reacts under the influence of a powerful magnetic field in this exhibit at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The intricate and beautiful fluid patterns result from surface tension between the liquids competing with the ferrofluid attempting to align with the field lines of a strong magnet as it is positioned at different distances underneath. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #ferrofluid #magnet #magneticfield #fuiddynamics #science #scienceisawesome

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Slinky Treadmill at the Exploratorium

Slinky Treadmill- repost of a favorite from @exploratorium: kinetic motion energy transfers to elastic potential energy and then back to kinetic energy in a cycling process as a slinky spring "walks" down an incline. Put the system on a treadmill, such as this one at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the walking behavior can be explored for many minutes. Note that after a while the slinky's walking becomes erratic.🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #slinky #slinkywalk #treadmill #energytransfer #kineticenergy #elastic #hookeslaw #momentum #science #scienceisawesome

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Learn more about the physics of the slinky here: Exploratorium Science Snack
The slinky has been a popular toy since 1945! Read about the history and physics of the slinky, and the naval mechanical engineer that invented it on Wikipedia.
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Zeeman Effect on Mercury at the Exploratorium

Zeeman Effect on Mercury Green Emission Line @exploratorium: directly explore the Quantum Mechanics of electron spin with this amazing interactive exhibit. Excited Mercury gas emits a bright green line at 546nm (seen here as concentric circles using a Fabry-Perot interferometer) due to electrons transitioning between the quantized energy levels. We learn in chemistry that electrons come two to a shell with opposing spins (Pauli Exclusion). Indeed when the excited Mercury tube is placed in between magnets the green line splits, demonstrating that the electrons now have slightly different energies corresponding to the spin orientations interacting with the magnetic field. Advanced level quantum phenomena in a museum exhibit! 🌟With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #zeemaneffect #quantummechanics #pauliexclusionprinciple #electron #electronspin #fabryperot #interferometer #mercury #linesplitting #emissionspectra #science #scienceisawesome

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Wikipedia has a nice introduction to the Zeeman Effect

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Circular Wave Umbrella at the Exploratorium

Circling Wave Umbrella @exploratorium: kinetic art that produces mesmerizing wave structure in a disk of fabric. Follow the white dot on the bottom of the fabric to see the actual rotation rate of the disk. The stretchy vinyl coated spandex is set to spin at about 60 RPM which sets up a dynamical interplay between the inertia of the fabric and air resistance, producing four waves that travel at about 20 RPM. Thus the waves rotate at about 1/3 the speed of the cloth. Similar rotational waves travel around the arms of galaxies! Created by Ned Kahn, long time artist in residence at the Exploratorium.🌟With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #oscillation #standingwave #physicstoy #kineticart #rotation #rpm #airresistance #rotationalwaves #frequency #phase #periodic #cycles #science #scienceisawesome

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Kinetic Art by artist in residence Ned Kahn



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Magnetic Pendulum Array at the Exploratorium

Magnetic Pendulum Array @exploratorium: 21 aluminum pendulums, each with a large magnet affixed to the end. The magnets allow kinetic energy to be shared. Note how the energy of the end pendulum is transferred to the rest in two steps- 1) the magnetic fields interact to damp the motion until 2) the end pendulum is captured into synchronized motion with the rest, allowing the energy to propagate to the front pendulum. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #oscillation #pendulum #pendulumsnake #physicstoy #kineticart #frequency #phase #periodic #cycles #science #scienceisawesome

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Fresnel Mirror Array at the Exploratorium
"All Eyes om Me" Exhibit

The physics and design of this exhibit is very similar to what is depicted in this image:


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Pendulum Snake at the Exploratorium

Pendulum Snake- one of my favorite exhibits at @exploratorium: ten swinging spheres, the first has a frequency of 15 swings per 30 seconds, the second has 16 in the same time, the third has 17, up to the tenth with 24 swings per 30 seconds. If released at the same time and height the amazing patterns result as each independent pendulum goes in and out of phase with the rest. Note that for a pendulum the frequency of oscillation depends on the square root of its length. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #oscillation #pendulum #pendulumsnake #physicstoy #kineticart #frequency #phase #periodic #cycles #science #scienceisawesome

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This exhibit include labels for the exact period of each pendulum:

This Exploratorium "snack" describes how to build your own with simple supplies: Pendulum Snake

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Small versions you can buy are available here:

From Amazon: BUY NOW Pendulum Snake

Oil Drop Cascade from the Exploratorium gift shop


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Avalanche at the Exploratorium

Avalanche @exploratorium : Spontaneous stratification from pouring granular mixtures. Typically pouring stuff together results in further mixing, yet here the result is an ordered sorting into layers. The larger rounded dark grains separate from the smaller sharp-edged white grains forming the layers you see here. The darker grains alone would stack into a steeper pile (larger angle of repose) than the white which would form a less steep pile. An amazing physics discovery of the 1990s showcased here by Ken Brecher and Erik Thogerson.🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #granular #stratification #spontaneousstratification #angleofrepose #avalanche #kineticart #science #scienceisawesome

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Make a similar device using CD cases: Step by step instructions in this Exploratorium Science Snack: Avalanche


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Monochromatic Room at the Exploratorium

Monochromatic Room @exploratorium: a photo of colorful San Francisco is illuminated by a very narrow frequency band of light, with a wavelength of 589nm- the characteristic spectrum of sodium vapor lamps at low pressure. Seeing color is both about the source of illumination and how an object interacts with light. Here a white LED flashlight can momentarily “paint” the scene with color. Sodium vapor lights are a type of gas-discharge lamp that uses sodium metal vapor in an excited state with two dominant spectral lines at 589.0 and 589.6nm, producing the bright yellow light in this exhibit. 🌟 Thanks to the @exploratorium! ➡️Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #physics #physicstoy #physicsfun #sodiumvapor #sodiumvapourlamp #monochromatic #monochromaticlight #excitation #dischargelamp #electronexcitation #colorvision #exploratorium

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The light source in this exhibit produces a frequency at 859nm

Wikipedia has a nice description of the physics and applications of Sodium Vapor Lamps

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Sand Pendulum Exploratorium
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Sand Pendulum @exploratorium: a swinging pendulum maps out a beautiful sine curve on to a conveyor belt. The belt moves at constant speed such that the sand creates a graph of the pendulum’s position as a function of time. Note how regular the period of oscillation is for any pendulum- the spacing between the turns remains constant even though the size of swing gets smaller as friction dissipates the energy. That is to say: a pendulum’s frequency is independent of its amplitude, the physics of why clocks can use pendulums to keep time. 🌟With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡️ Follow the link in my profile for more info and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #kineticenergy #physics #oscillation #pendulum #pendulumsnake #physicstoy #kineticart #frequency #phase #periodic #cycles #science #scienceisawesome

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Frank Oppenheimer, founder of the Exploratorium Museum, demonstrates the sand pendulum display in these images from the 1970s.

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Kinetic Rubin Vase at the Exploratorium

Kinetic Rubin Vase @exploratorium: spin this ceramic version of the Rubin Vase illusion and the white background transforms to two people talking. Entitled "Talking Face to Vase" this kinetic art is a permanent installation at the Exploratorium museum in San Fransisco that features the physics and psychophysics of vision and perception. The vase demonstrates the figure-ground distinction made by the brain- is it a vase, or two faces in profile? 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium. ➡️ Follow the link in my profile to get your own Rubin vase and many other amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #vase #perception #rubinvase #figueground #illusion #opticalillusion #physics #psychophysics #physicstoy #perception #flickerfusion #flickerfusionfrequency #science #scienceisawesome #exploratorium #sanfransisco

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More ambiguous foreground-background illusions at the Exploratorium:

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Water Spinner (Part II) at the Exploratorium

Water Spinner- Part II @exploratorium : a pair of shock waves (from the initial impulse) travel along the parabolic surface of the contained liquid, creating temporary peaks and valleys as they constructively and deconstructively interfere. As seen here in 240 fps slow motion, the symmetric waves travel and reflect along the curved surface for the first few rotations until damped out via viscosity and friction. See last Friday's post for more details about this amazing exhibit. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about this exhibit at the Exploratorium- and where to find many of the items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #centripetalacceleration #spincam #angularmomentum #parabola #parabolic #pascalsprinciple #hydrostatics #spinning #kineticart #science #scienceisawesome

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Drip Chamber at the Exploratorium

Drip Chamber @exploratorium : viscous and transparent liquid glycerin forms into drips and lumps under gravity. Light rays form caustics (see previous post) that look like animated stars encased in geometric outlines from a bright light shining through from underneath. The star caustics occasionally wink to black as a drop detaches and falls in this kinetic art installation by Charles Sowers. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun. #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #optics #caustics #lightrays #refraction #viscocity #kineticart #science #scienceisawesome

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Another amazing creation by artist Charles Sowers:

See more photos of this installation and other amazing work via the artist's web page: Drip Chamber

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Cloud Chamber at the Exploratorium

Cosmic Rays in Cloud Chamber @exploratorium: Visualizing the invisible- we live in a constant rain of charged subatomic particles that pass through the atmosphere (and our bodies) at relativistic speeds. The fleeting white lines and streaks seen here mark the paths of these cosmic ray particles through amplification via a phase change. The cloud chamber, with refrigeration on the bottom and heater elements on top, creates a 10cm thick region of supersaturated alcohol vapor that is at a temperature below its condensation point. Energetic charged particles produce a trail of ions (atoms with an electron knocked off) and these ions become the center of the drops that form the white trails showing the path of the particles. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #cosmicrays #phasechange #cloud #cloudchamber #nucleation #supersaturated #thermodynamics #condensation #science #scienceisawesome

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The Cloud Chamber is one of the longest running exhibits at the Exploratorium, and one of my favorites.


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Icy Bodies at the Exploratorium

Icy Bodies @exploratorium: exquisitely beautiful and dynamic interactions between small chunks of dry ice and a shallow layer of water play out in this exhibit created by artist Shawn Lani at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) is denser than water, but the small pieces do not sink- instead each piece, at −78.5 °C, becomes encapsulated in a shell of ice that then floats. As the dry ice sublimates from a solid directly into a gas, jets stream from holes and fractures in the ice shells propelling and spinning the bits upon the water's surface. Droplets condense out of the air forming a cloudy mist in the vicinity of the cold gas jets which is lighted from the side to dramatic effect. 🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #physics #physicsfun #physicstoy #sublimation #dryice #thermodynamics #condensation #science #scienceisawesome

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Another amazing creation by artist Shawn Lani-- Icy Bodies has been installed at 13 science museums around the world:

See the Shawn Lani Studios website for more details- and make sure to see the exhibit in person!

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Dancing Drops at the Exploratorium

Dancing Drops @exploratorium: an exhibit employing the CoandΔƒ effect on water droplets -an air stream attaches and wraps around the drops temporarily trapping them. As the air changes direction to flow around a drop, momentum is imparted to it pushing the drop against gravity. Constrained mostly by surface tension, under these conditions the water drops also have irregular and changing shapes leading to erratic motions in the uneven airstream.🌟 With special thanks to the Exploratorium! ➡ Follow the link in my profile for more info about the Exploratorium and where to find many of the amazing items featured here on @physicsfun #exploratorium #coanda #coandaeffect #gravity #newton #newtonssecondlaw #newtonsthirdlaw #actionreaction #equilibrium #netforce #physics #physicstoy #magnuseffect #science #scienceisawesome

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