Edgerton Center: Water Piddler

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There are two water piddler demonstrations, both on display in Strobe Alley (fourth floor of Building 4).

The purpose of this display is to demonstrate the strobe light's ability to create optical illusions and to enable people to see images that occur too fast for the human eye to discern

Instructions: By pressing the LIGHT switch, you will see that two water streams flow downward and intersect above the catch basin. After a few seconds, the incandescent light will turn off and the strobe light will go on. At this point, you should see the water stream as individual "droplets" of water. By turning the knob, you can adjust the frequency of the strobe light. You should be able to make the droplets appear to be stationary in midair. In addition, you should be able to make the stream of water droplets appear to flow upwards.

Please note: On the larger display, the incandescent light and the strobe light are actually controlled by two separate buttons. By holding them both in at once, you can see the stream both normally and as individual droplets.

Explanation:

A strobe light is simply a light that rapidly flashes on and off. The strobe used in this display is repetitive, meaning that it flashes on and off continuously a certain amount of times each second. When you adjust the knob, you are changing the frequency -- the rate at which the light turns on and off. When you look at the stream underneath the strobe light, which in reality is a series of continuous water droplets flowing downwards at a constant rate, your eye can see individual droplets making up the stream. Depending on the frequency, the droplets will appear to move in a certain direction at a certain speed. When the droplets appear stationary, the frequency of the strobe light matches the speed of the water droplets -- every flash exposes a different water droplet in the same position.

Using this and related strobe technology, along with high speed film, photographs can be taken of events that last a fraction of a second. Most of the photographs lining Strobe Alley were produced using this technology. A single flash strobe, which flashes on and off rapidly only once, was used to photograph pictures like the milk drop, while a multi-flash strobe, similar to what you have seen in this display, was used to photograph pictures like the golfer.

Edgerton Center Home Introduction Corridor Lab High Speed Imaging Staff Academics Subjects Offered Strobe Project Lab IAP UROP Professional Short Course Programs International Development Outreach/You Go Girl Service Learning Student Groups Student Shop		There are two water piddler demonstrations, both on display in Strobe Alley (fourth floor of Building 4). The purpose of this display is to demonstrate the strobe light's ability to create optical illusions and to enable people to see images that occur too fast for the human eye to discern Instructions: By pressing the LIGHT switch, you will see that two water streams flow downward and intersect above the catch basin. After a few seconds, the incandescent light will turn off and the strobe light will go on. At this point, you should see the water stream as individual "droplets" of water. By turning the knob, you can adjust the frequency of the strobe light. You should be able to make the droplets appear to be stationary in midair. In addition, you should be able to make the stream of water droplets appear to flow upwards. Please note: On the larger display, the incandescent light and the strobe light are actually controlled by two separate buttons. By holding them both in at once, you can see the stream both normally and as individual droplets.
	Explanation: A strobe light is simply a light that rapidly flashes on and off. The strobe used in this display is repetitive, meaning that it flashes on and off continuously a certain amount of times each second. When you adjust the knob, you are changing the frequency -- the rate at which the light turns on and off. When you look at the stream underneath the strobe light, which in reality is a series of continuous water droplets flowing downwards at a constant rate, your eye can see individual droplets making up the stream. Depending on the frequency, the droplets will appear to move in a certain direction at a certain speed. When the droplets appear stationary, the frequency of the strobe light matches the speed of the water droplets -- every flash exposes a different water droplet in the same position. Using this and related strobe technology, along with high speed film, photographs can be taken of events that last a fraction of a second. Most of the photographs lining Strobe Alley were produced using this technology. A single flash strobe, which flashes on and off rapidly only once, was used to photograph pictures like the milk drop, while a multi-flash strobe, similar to what you have seen in this display, was used to photograph pictures like the golfer. Automotive Crank \| Climbing Arc \| Dancing Dots \| Devices for Optical Communication \| Exploding Wire \| Kelvin Electrostatic Generator \| Feynman Sprinkler \| Measure Your Own Capacitance