When I was assigned this topic, I struggled to think of different ways to represent radiation.  Initially, I was only able to think of radiative heat transfer.  I looked up the definition of radiation in a dictionary to get an idea of other aspects that I had not thought of/remembered.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, radiation is defined as the process of emitting energy in the form of waves or particles, or having a radial arrangement.  Another source mentioned that it can be defined as a divergence from a central point.  With these definitions, I was able to move on to brainstorming how to represent radiation in physical prototypes.

Brainstorming:

I started by listing the main concepts found in the definitions that I found.  The main concepts were divergence, high-energy particles, heat transfer, electromagnetic waves, and emission of energy.  Within these broad categories, I tried to think of specific ways these concepts could be represented in physical form.  Each model aimed to emphasize a different characteristic of radiation within the selected concept.  One idea for a model turned out not being factually correct, so that was automatically cut.

 

Building the Models:

1.) The first model demonstrates uniform divergence from a source.  In the model, the toothpicks are all diverging from the cylinder in a uniform manner.  Toothpicks were used for their stiffness so they would not bend in any way.

2.) Radiation can be defined as emission of energy in the form of a particle or wave. The second model demonstrates high-energy particles and their ability to go through surfaces that normally would be impenetrable by lower energy particles or larger particles.  Rutherford’s gold foil experiment with alpha radiation particles penetrating the gold foil is an example of this phenomenon.  A large percentage of the alpha particles went through the foil (some were deflected by the nuclei of the atoms).  Using the gold foil experiment as an example, the mesh would represent the gold foil, the yellow pipe cleaners represent the alpha particles, and the red pipe cleaners might represent some large particle, say another gold atom.  The gold atom would most likely bounce off the surface, as it does not have enough energy nor is it small enough to “fit” through the foil.

3.) The third model illustrates divergence, but this time from a single point.  However, I tried to incorporate reflectivity in this model.  The black pipe cleaners represent anything radiating out from the point, while the grey cone represents a highly reflective surface that redirects the radiation energy in a different direction.

4.) The fourth model illustrates the emission of energy on a more theoretical level. When charged particles travel in a circular path or orbit, they emit energy as they spin. The model shows this in the spiral of color which represents energy density, with red being the most dense.  It was challenging to get the pipe cleaner to lay flat against the page, and reflecting back on it, I think I should have just cut another paper spiral.

5.) The last model illustrates electromagnetic radiative heat transfer.  In the model, there are two plates: the hot plate (red) that is radiating most of the energy represented in the model, and the plate that is heating up (orange, which is still radiating heat, but not to the degree that the other plate is).  I chose red and orange because those hues are often associated with heat.  The yellow pipe cleaners represent the electromagnetic waves that are carrying the energy from one plate to the other.

Summary:

In sum, I learned that a variety of concepts can be communicated through simple prototypes made from everyday materials.  I also learned that pipe cleaners can be extremely frustrating to deal with.