A dedicated MIND THE LAB corner was set up during MEDNIGHT Main Event in Messina by the OPTICA & Young Minds Scientific Associations.
The following experiments were proposed:
• Newton’s disk
By rotating a disc made up of the 7 colours of the rainbow, you get the illusion that the colours tend to be uniform and turn white.
• The floating mandarin
If you put a mandarin in a container full of water, after a while, it will float. But if you peel it and put it back in the water, it will sink. Why?
• A small piece of plastic can overcome gravity
We cover the opening of a bottle full of water with a plastic sheet: turning the bottle upside down, the water will not come out. Atmospheric pressure has won over the weight of water!
• The spiteful match
A piece of bread floats on the water contained in a basin. We fix a match or a candle on the bread and light it. Covering with an upside-down glass, the flame gradually reduces until it goes out as the water level rises. What’s happening?
• Colouring with physics
Have you ever tried to colour a warped image? With physics, it is much simpler. Using an aluminium mirror with a cylindrical surface it is possible to transform a deformed image into its natural counterpart as if we were observing it not deformed.
