Demo and teardown of an X-ray fluorescence gun (measures chemical composition)
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN recommends it as a hands-on introduction to XRF and a fascinating teardown showing the x-ray tube and beryllium windows.
What it is
Ben Krasnow of Applied Science demonstrates an X-ray fluorescence gun that measures chemical composition, tears it down, analyzes its failure, and discusses a new XRF technology appearing on eBay.
Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2020 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Recommends Jenda_ · 2022-04 · on “High schoolers create filter to remove lead in water”
I would like to add a video on XRF from Applied Science, as the device is not very well known (at least in .cz, I have learned about it only recently). [this video]
Recommends CamperBob2 · 2022-05 · on “DIY High Resolution Spectrometer (2018)”
It's easy enough to generate x-rays, for better or worse, but the devil's in the details. The x-rays apparently need to be monochromatic, or nearly so, so you can't just apply HV to any old random radio tube that's lying around. And then you need a beryllium exit window on the tube and another one at the detector entrance. Fascinating teardown on one of these things at Ben Krasnow's channel [this video] .
Cites WorldPeas · 2020-10 · on “Researchers show how to transform materials using a finely shaped laser pulse”
I believe manganese does naturally, but only with a UV laser: [this video] Artificially, one that works with probably most/all lasers would be an active phosphor display(I forget the specific cocktail it's composed of), like the kind from an oscilloscope
Cites hobs · 2021-03 · on “Wooden floors rotted by fungi generate electricity when walked on”
For what its worth they did make the tape based xray florescence machines, I saw them on applied science [this video]
Cites Obi_Juan_Kenobi · 2021-12 · on “Lead exposure from routine consumption of coffee and tea from ceramic mugs”
Applied Science did a video playing with one. [this video] There are some significant limits on what it can analyze, but it's terrific for learning about metal alloys.
Cites CamperBob2 · 2024-08 · on “DARPA wants to bypass the thermal middleman in nuclear power systems”
There are no hand held devices which will tell you if the soil you're vaguely near has heavy metals in it, nor how much. Well, technically, there are, but now you're back in the ionizing-radiation business: [this video]