Brownian Motion of Smoke Particles at MC 2007

This video was collected during Microscopy Camp 2007 at the University of Minnesota. Joe Franek designed the set-up, which used a microscope attached to his PC to collect video. The reddish particles are smoke particles, and the red color is the result of red laser light scattering off the smoke particles. In the video, a small amount of drift is observable. The Brownian Motion is the random "jiggling" and "jumping" of individual particles.

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• brownian
• motion
• smoke
• particles
• microscopy
• camp

[rleepenn]

In the video, there is a small amount of overall drift to the right. This is NOT the Brownian motion. We waited several minutes before taking the video. Perhaps if we had waited longer, this general drift would have ceased. Thank you for your comments!

[rleepenn]

The laser light scatters off the micron-sized particles of smoke... Since there is no other light, the red laser light allows one to see the motion of the individual smoke particles. Wikipedia has a pretty good page describing what smoke particles are made of, etc... These smoke particles were produced form the tip of a burning cigarette. The background is not lit up because the laser light path is above the background.

[ceccovecchi]

come tenue soffio di vento potevi mettere un peto :)

scherzi a parte bel video complimenti

[brandeezy108]

@dycarbon1 maybe because of a little breeze.

[dycarbon1]

Why is it that the smoke particles all seem to be moving to the right?

[ZWeeslaZ]

Thanks Alot haha

[ZWeeslaZ]

what are the points of light?

[sugarbungie]

because the smoke particles are reflecting the light. normal light wud give the same effect. but itd hace to be converged. dont ask me why.

[marksiqi]

Hi, I don't understand why its the smoke particles that are lit up and not the background, what would it look like if they used normal night instead of red laser?

[bawsbaws04]

second!