Schlieren Image Projection

I have been working on a Schlieren Imaging setup for demonstrations and discovered an easy way to project the image onto a viewing screen. For reference, the mirror I used is a 1.5 m focal length mirror, 6″ diameter. Other parts are a simple LED flashlight and a 2 mm aperture.

Teaching with Arduino

I’ve decided to use the Arduino in my electronics class this fall. The Arduino is an “open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.” Even from the description it sounds like just what an electronics course needs. I finally had some time to tinker with it today, and after a few minutes I had it’s LED blinking away, and then after another few minutes it was an oscilloscope. A few minutes later it was playing a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) melody. Not bad for an hour’s work.

With a little inspiration, and my new-found confidence, I took to my first project in hopes of having a little demo to show the intro students to recruit them for my class in the fall. An hour and a half later (including fielding questions about homework and our exam tomorrow) I had a photo-resistor theramin up and running.