- #1
nebulinda
- 11
- 3
I am a HS teacher working with a class of seniors on building a cloud bubble chamber. I have mostly used this article to guide us, but the students have also done research and have found many articles and videos as well.
We are using a small plastic fish tank with felt super-glued to the bottom. We soaked the felt in 91% isopropyl alcohol, then placed the fish tank upside down on a cookie sheet (and then we tried a small whiteboard), and duct taped it down to seal the chamber. Then this assembly is placed on dry ice, and a tub of hot water placed on top, to create a temperature differential. The air inside the fish tank is supposed to become saturated with alcohol and form a cloud, but in our chamber the alcohol is just condensing on the cookie sheet/whiteboard and no cloud is forming.
A colleague told me to try using Iso-HEET instead of 91% isopropyl alcohol, but that also didn't work.
My plan is to get some 99% isopropyl alcohol from Amazon (it is very difficult to find in stores), and use a glass tupperware with a snap on lid instead of the plastic fish tank.
Is there anything else I should try, or need to have to make this work? I would appreciate any input anyone can offer. Thanks!
We are using a small plastic fish tank with felt super-glued to the bottom. We soaked the felt in 91% isopropyl alcohol, then placed the fish tank upside down on a cookie sheet (and then we tried a small whiteboard), and duct taped it down to seal the chamber. Then this assembly is placed on dry ice, and a tub of hot water placed on top, to create a temperature differential. The air inside the fish tank is supposed to become saturated with alcohol and form a cloud, but in our chamber the alcohol is just condensing on the cookie sheet/whiteboard and no cloud is forming.
A colleague told me to try using Iso-HEET instead of 91% isopropyl alcohol, but that also didn't work.
My plan is to get some 99% isopropyl alcohol from Amazon (it is very difficult to find in stores), and use a glass tupperware with a snap on lid instead of the plastic fish tank.
Is there anything else I should try, or need to have to make this work? I would appreciate any input anyone can offer. Thanks!