This is cool: How to Reveal Subatomic Particles at Home

[G_j]

How to Reveal Subatomic Particles at Home | NOVA

Published on Mar 18, 2015
Here's a way you can reveal subatomic particles that are shooting in front of your eyes all the tim

[SomethingFishy]

1. Ok..

that's pretty freakin cool.

[F4lconF16]

2. I built a cloud chamber for my senior project in high school!

It was very cool seeing the condensation trails

[GoneFishin]

3. Very cool. Thanks

[Demeter]

4. For God's sake, I don't even dust

There could be a black hole in there at home, and I wouldn't notice.

[3catwoman3]

11. I used to have a sign on my closet door that said...

..."You may touch the dust, but please don't write in it."

[LiberalElite]

12. I like to say I don't dust - it's against my religion

[3catwoman3]

21. That is a liberating spiritual...

...philosophy that I could support with enthusiasm!

[JHB]

14. I knew a guy who kept the missing mass of the universe in the back seat of his car

It shouldn't have been physically possible to have that much stuff in there, yet he did!

[jtuck004]

5. This isn't the particle though, right? Just where it has been? How do I build something so I can

see the particle(s) at home?

I mean, as long as I have to go track down dry ice in this town, I might as well try to see electrons.

And, do subatomic particles always = electrons? Or are there other kinds?

[Vincardog]

7. You can't see the particles since you use eyes to see and the particles are smaller than visible

Light waves. You can only see evidence of them. The particles are not all electrons.

[Vincardog]

6. Marking to show MS VCD

[madamvlb]

8. So cool...

[starroute]

9. Those of us who grew up on "The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays" already knew this

[byronius]

10. That is gnarly.

[madokie]

13. I have to keep this so I can find it later, "Subatomic Particles"

once I gather up what all it takes to try.
thanks

[Bonx]

15. Woah.

Quite enjoyed that.

[2banon]

16. where do ya get small quantity of dry ice?

[G_j]

18. not sure if you can

probably the one drawback, you'll have a block of it.

[Aerows]

23. I don't exactly live

in the most metropolitan of places and I know of two stores that have it off the top of my head.

It's extremely useful for people that go camping because it doesn't render everything soggy. Just don't handle it bare-handed and it's very useful.

It's not in anyway expensive.

[Aerows]

22. They have it by the front door

of most major grocery stores. It's pretty cheap, and don't worry about it melting and leaving a mess . Just be careful to use gloves when you handle it - it can cause instantaneous frostbite on unprotected skin.

Other than that, it's pretty safe and neat to play with!

[2banon]

24. Thanks for that Aerows.. Now that you mention it, i think I've always seen it peripherally

entering rural markets but never had a need for it so just walk past it. And thanks for the advice on handling. I'll check it out next time I'm at the store which will probably be sometime today..

[Skinner]

17. That is really cool.

I think I want to try this with my kids.

[Ratty]

19. We did this in beginning physics

It was years ago and I thought it was the most magical amazing thing I'd ever seen. You just don't imagine that you can see things like that with your naked eye. I'll never forget it.

[hunter]

20. Shooting in front of your eyes, into you, and through you too!

Radioactivity of a Thorite mineral seen in a cloud chamber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_chamber