The Crookes Radiometer is a classic piece of vintage science equipment and a fun, visual learning tool. It also happens to be a beautiful decorative piece, and adds a touch of elegance to any setting. Its basic form is a glass bulb with a base; inside the bulb is a frictionless vertical shaft with four delicate diamond-shaped vanes, each with a dark side and a light side. When light shines on the vanes they move, turning the shaft (some versions can spin up to 1000 revolutions a minute). The cau

Radiometer: this classic physics toy came in my latest @thecuriositybox ! This device goes way back, invented in 1873 by the famous chemist Sir William Crookes when he was investigating partial vacuum environments. Light heats up the “vanes” which then heat up the very thin gas left in the partial vacuum within the bulb- the black side of the vane is hotter than the silver side and any gas molecule that comes into contact with it flies off at a faster speed imparting impulse to the rotor. ➡️ Fol