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Material Density and Charged Particle Occurrence in a Cloud Chamber

CSEF · 2017 Physics & Astronomy Second Award

Georgia G. Hutchinson, Linus C. Upson · Woodside Elementary School, Woodside, San Mateo County

Overview

Objectives/Goals Build a cloud chamber and observe charged particles. Test how the density of various materials affects the number and type of charged particles observed. Methods/Materials Constructed a cloud chamber, in a dark room, consisting of crushed dry ice, a glass tank (made air-tight with window sealant), a heating pad, 99% isopropyl alcohol, a dark metal sheet pan. Recorded the number of charged particles seen in a cloud chamber for one minute, with and without a steel plate (1 cm thick) at different altitudes. Results More charged particles were seen at 700 meters above sea level than at 146 meters above sea level. The steel plate reduced the amount of charged particles seen at both altitudes. With a steel plate, the number of muons seen increased by 7%, but the number of particle decays and electrons was also decreased by 7%. Conclusions/Discussion The steel plate reduced the number of charged particles observed in a cloud chamber by a substantial amount, which leads to the conclusion that steel is an effective way to insulate against charged particles. At a lower altitude, fewer charged particles were seen, leading to the conclusion that air also functions as an insulation against charged particles. Air is much less dense than steel, so a much greater quantity was required to block a similar number of charged particles.

Summary statement

Using a cloud chamber, we determined that both steel and air are effective insulators against charged particles.

Help received

We adapted a design for a cloud chamber from Science Friday, improving on it considerably through many iterations. We performed the experiments ourselves.

Awards (1)

Competition history

  • CSEF 2017 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1808

Resources

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