Rotating Top Illusion


This applet requires Sun's Java VM 2 which your browser may perceive as a popup. Which it is not. If you want to see the applet work, visit Sun's website at https://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp, download and install Java VM and enjoy the applet.


Revolving Top illusion - click to see the animation

What if applet does not run?

A few words.

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Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny

The applet offers an interactive version of Benham's top, or Benham's disk, named after the English toymaker Charles Benham, who, in 1895, marketed a top with the pattern the applet attempts to mimic. When the disk is spun sufficiently fast the line arcs blend into colorful circles. The effect was actually reported in 1838 by G. T. Fechner after whom the colors are named, Fechner colors. The distribution of colors depends on the way in which the arcs are combined.

|Contact| |Front page| |Contents| |Geometry|

Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny

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