IIT SPS Scotch Tape X-ray Experiment

This the Illinois Institute of Technology's Society of Physics Students' Scotch tape x-ray experiment. Unrolling Scotch tape creates high energy x-rays! Who knew?

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ScotchTapeXray

[codyman246]

does anyone know how they sealed off the drill bit to where when they spun it, the vacuum would remain?



[0tt2r]

@codyman246 We used what is called a rotary feedthrough. Search google for "Vacuum Rotary Feedthrough."

[codyman246]

@0tt2r Thanks! One more question, do you know what pressure the chamber was at, or what it should be at for this to work? For the science fair, my team and I are trying to build one of these from scratch (making our own pump, chamber, rotary system, etc., while trying to keep a pretty low budget to show how cheaply something like this can be made and still function properly.) btw, for the pump, we were thinking about modifying a refrigerator compressor.

[0tt2r]

@codyman246 You don't need a vacuum for this to work; the x-rays are produced in air, as well as a vacuum. In air, a lot of the x-rays get absorbed by the air, so the fluorescent paper does not light up as much. A refrigerator compressor vacuum pump will likely get you to an adequate level of vacuum.

[gww1]

I used scotch tape alot on my last project. Now I can't have children.

[Ilovelazers]

@0tt2r Ummmmm, More explanation?

[coolwhiteguy1]

@TeravoltOrg oh, verywell then.

[TeravoltOrg]

@coolwhiteguy1 The x-rays are so soft that air absorbs them

[coolwhiteguy1]

and this must be in a zero oxogyen chamber?