What does a nuclear chain reaction look like? You don’t want to get close enough to find out. And even if you did, you’d need a molecular microscope. But some creative scientists at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada have found a way to simulate the physics of a chain reaction using a glass box, a whole bunch of mouse traps and several ping pong balls.
The golf balls represent neutrons, the mouse traps are the nuclear fuel and the glass box is a reactor. A single golf ball dropped into that mix sets everything off.
Check out the video, below. (We especially like the slow motion portion at the start). You can also read more about the project here.
published: 1 Aug 2010
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