Shanghai Inertia

The War of Waves and Grains — Frontier Technology exhibit for science museums

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Category	Frontier Technology
Standard size	Custom size
Supply	Single unit or batch · OEM to your drawing
Lead time	Standard 4–8 weeks after deposit (confirmed per contract)
Warranty	1 year, structure and control
Documents	Specification sheet · control diagram · spare-part list

A standard catalogue model: the dimensions, control package and finish are fixed, which is what keeps the price and the lead time predictable. Size, colour and interface language can be adapted without a new design cycle.

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01 / Overview

The exhibits consist of a booth, Newtonian dispersion experimental device (white light lamp, prism), Poisson bright spot experimental device (laser emission device, circular shading plate), Hertz experimental device (spark generator, copper ring, neon bubble), photoelectric effect experimental device (rotating color disc, movable light source), 3 32 inch LCD TVs, 3 hard disk players, 3 speakers, and acrylic protective covers. The exhibit transforms the debate between light waves and particles into large-scale graphics and text in the form of a timeline, and lists scientists and experiments that support both particle theory and wave theory on both sides of the timeline, allowing visitors to clearly and intuitively understand each scientist's viewpoint in an interactive experience.

02 / How visitors use it

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.

03 / The science behind it

Physicists have been debating for over two hundred years whether the essence of light is a particle or a wave. Many experimental theories have been developed, opening the door for people to understand the essence of the microscopic world and laying the foundation for the establishment of quantum mechanics. Among them, a typical experiment includes Newton's support for the particle theory through dispersion experiments. Fresnel supported the wave theory through the Poisson bright spot experiment. Hertz verified Maxwell's theory of the existence of electromagnetic waves using a device. Hertz discovered that the photoelectric effect contradicts the wave theory of light, but Einstein successfully explained this phenomenon using the light quantum hypothesis. People are beginning to realize that light waves have dual properties of both waves and particles.

04 / Built for a public floor

Every unit leaves the factory after a running test: mechanisms cycled, electronics burned in, edges dressed, fixings torqued and marked. Wear parts — bearings, sliders, lamps, belts, touch panels — are modular and listed on the spare-part sheet, so a venue technician can replace them without returning the exhibit. Crating is plywood with foam blocking; the loading plan and packing list travel with the shipment.