Australia's Science Forum

Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone has had experience with cloud chambers. Our physics teacher are departing whether to get the traditional chamber that uses dry ice or the expansion chamber that doesnt require dry ice. Any help is greatfully accepted.

Thanks,
Helen

Hi Helen'
I have only used the dry ice cloud chamber and have found it very unreliable.
See if you can trial the alternate one before you buy.

We built one from scratch, uslng a small aquarium. Instructions here:

http://www.lns.cornell.edu/~adf4/cloud.html

Works really well using heaps of dry ice in a dark room.

Hi Helen,

If you go ahead with the new chamber, can you let us know how it goes. It's becomming harder to get hold of Dry Ice. Thanks Macca

Hi
We have recently purchased one of the vacuum type cloud chambers and i am struggling to get it to do anything. Because it isn't doing anything it is hard to tell what is wrong. We have an alpha point source which i have attached to the pin that goes into the side. I have tried both ethyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol. In the instructions it says 1-2ml but on the base of the chamber it says 5ml. I have tried both. I think i have it set up correctly with the vacuum and the power pack. I don't have any pure isopropyl alcohol so i did think that may be the problem but i don't want to order that just to find it still doesn't work. Any help would be appreciated.