Stroboscope, Hand Whirling

Details

Ever watched a car speed off, yet the wheels appear to be turning in the opposite direction? How can the car be moving forward yet the wheels spinning backward? It's all to do with what's called the stroboscopic effect. The effect is put to good use in everything from photographic flash lamps to police sirens and warning lights for deaf people.

This value stroboscope is an excellent addition to the science classroom as it assists in teaching complex physics concepts such as frequency and light waves. This sturdy instrument is 26cm in diameter yet light enough to be held by young students. It puts on a great show while educating!

Age: 3+

What You Get

1 x Stroboscope

1 x rail with viewing slit each end (for 2 observers)

1 x pivoting disc with slots

1 x spring blade, can be attached to a bench with a G-clamp, to freely vibrate atvarious frequencies

How does it work

This stroboscope is a fantastic addition to the classroom. Ask a student to hold the handle of the stroboscope and use their finger to reach around place it in the hole, and spin the disc on its pivot. While the disc is spinning look at a moving object through the slits in the rail.

How does it work? The slits behave as shutters rapidly opening and closing so as to provide the observer with short duration snapshots of the moving object.

Try calculating the speed of a moving object. If the rotational speed of the disc is known and the number of slits is known, the speed of themoving object can be calculated.