What the name of the evacuated glass gadget with black and white vanes that turn when a light is applied?

Question

I remember a glass device my physics teacher had at high school which

Contained some vanes mounted somehow on a vertical axis, which were all black on one side and white on the other
Was in a vacuum (partial, at least)
Caused the vanes to spin when a light was shone onto them

I've never seen such a device since. Can anyone tell me if it has a name?

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 25 '12 at 08:59

5

Yes, it is called a Crookes radiometer or a light mill.

edited Nov 25 '12 at 08:59

N. Virgo

answered Oct 25 '12 at 21:51

Robert Miller

1 Answers1