What you get
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The Quark top comes complete with:
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The laser is used for precision balancing. You'll want to rebalance
after extended use. The laser beam is bounced off the polished disk
surface.
Tungsten version
The
Tungsten version is unique. Tungsten is a very dense metal that is much rarer than common metals like
copper and aluminum - but not as rare as precious metals like gold.
Tungsten has the highest melting point of all elements except carbon and
has an extremely high conductivity (28% greater than that of silver). Based
on these properties, tungsten is used as an alloy in hardening steel and the
manufacture of “hardmetal”, whose main constituent is tungsten monocarbide
which has a hardness close to that of diamond. Tungsten is used extensively
in lighting filaments and electronic contacts. China and Austria are the
world’s major producers of tungsten.
Tungsten was chosen for one of the Quark models because of its extreme
density without the very high price of a precious metal. Tungsten is more
than twice as dense as brass. This results in longer spin times because the
same momentum can be achieved with less area and hence less aerodynamic
drag.
When you hold the Tungsten Quark in your hand it feels different from any
metal object you have likely held. The proportions on the Tungsten version
are slightly different from the brass version.
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Why
the name |
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The Quark top is
named after the Top quark - the sub-atomic particle in protons and neutrons. Quarks have both mass and spin -
two of the key aspects of a top. |