exploratorium

Exhibits

  • Fluttering exhibit

Fluttering

A piece of fabric undulates in complex ways.

Where:   Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6, Mezzanine
Exhibit Developer:   Ned Kahn, 1994

A constant stream of air forces a lightweight piece of free-flowing fabric up into the air. The normally invisible air current is suddenly transformed into a colorful visualization of the complexity of the air stream.

 
Subjects:
Phenomena: Modeling Landscapes, Resonance, Techniques to Make the Invisible Visible, Wind, Wave Excitation, Patterns, Nonlinear Behavior, Motion: Visual Motion Detection, Fluid Mechanics, Damping
Keywords: complexity
Aliases: Fluttering Silk
Collections: Turbulent Landscapes

More to explore

Wind Tubes

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Circling Wave Umbrella
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Fluttering waves whirl around the edge, creating patterns of evenly spaced ripples.

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Suspend a ball in a stream of air.