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Don't you just love living in an age of knowledge?  There are so many  
things we have access to.
Clifford Wagner
> check out
> http://www.mne.psu.edu/psgdl/facilities_Optical.htm
> at the Pen State to see what is possible, and these guys may also be  
> happy to offer some help/advice.
>
> A Schlieren system visualises density differences in the air. So you  
> may find that you need to run your organ pipe on cool, or warm air to  
> maximise the visual impact.
> they can take a bit of fiddling to get alinged, and can take up a bit  
> of space ( as they need long optical paths for maximum sensitivity)  
> but they are quiet reliable once set up, and bolted down.
>
>
>
> good luck.
> Stuart Kohlhagen
> leader new concepts
> Questacon- The national science and technology centre
> Canberra
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Informal Science Education Network on behalf of Joe Ruggiero
> Sent: Mon 1/16/2006 8:38 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Seeing airflow
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *********************************************************************** 
> ******
>
> Hi Cobie,
>
> I have a habit of exposing my ignorance but I think you can achieve  
> some
> of what your after with a simple set up.   Just to try, place a small
> mirror (square foot mirror tile would work okay) outside and aim it so
> it shines a little piece of sunlight into a somewhat dark room  
> (sunlight
> is so bright that the room doesn't really have to be very dark.)  In  
> the
> beam of sunlight place a lit match or other heat source.  In the shadow
> on the wall you should very clearly see convection currents swirling  
> off
> the match.
>
> I know the match trick works fine - it gives off enough heat to  
> overcome
> other convection currents in this very uncontrolled set up.  In a more
> controlled environment even the heat off your hand can work. I'm not
> sure about the organ pipe, but in a more tightly controlled set up is
> should work fine as well.
>
> I think the sunlight basically takes care of most of your optics.  That
> light all ready arrives collimated, more or less.  The set up you
> describe sounds like it provides a much more controlled, lab-like,
> environment, which frees you from sunlight and makes the whole thing
> portable. I sure do like the simplicity of the sun, though.
>
> Try the little demo with the sunlight and then look up Schlieren Optics
> on the web.
>
> I hope this helps. If you discover that I've got it all wrong, please
> let me know.
>
> All the best to you folks over there.
>
>
> Joe R
> www.TheExhibitGuys.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Cobie Howard wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
>> Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
>> institutions.
>> ********************************************************************** 
>> *******
>>
>> Hi,
>> We are trying to build an exhibit that allows visitors to see a  
>> shadow of
>> the airstream that flickers in and out of the mouth of an organ pipe.  
>>  I
>> have heard that this is possible using some arrangement of a strobe  
>> light,
>> polarizing filters and collimating lenses.  Does anybody have any  
>> tips or
>> resources to help us do that?
>> Thanks,
>> Cobie Howard
>> Exhibit Developer
>> Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque
>> 505-224-8306
>>
>>
>> ********************************************************************** 
>> *
>> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at  
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>> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
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>>
>>
>
> ***********************************************************************
> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at  
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> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at  
> http://www.astc.org.
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
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