We have in our collection quite a few different videodisks and videotapes. This file contains information about some of them, and others are listed at the end. The support staff can set everything up for you and find the correct frame at which you’d like to start.

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We have video tape, Laser disk, Super 8/16mm, and Slide projectors which can be used in any of the classrooms. Here is a like to all of our teaching aids.

If you would like to jump to a particular format click on the links below.

Videotapes Super 8 Slides Laser Disks

Videotapes

VT-1 AAPT Physics is Phun
VT-2 AAPT Toys in Space
VT-3 California Earthquakes
VT-4 Cloud Chamber
VT-5 Daedalon EP-20 e/m of the Electron Apparatus
VT-6 Demonstrations in Acoustics Part 1
VT-7 Demonstrations in Acoustics Part 2
VT-8 Demonstrations in Acoustics Part 3
VT-9 Demonstrations in Acoustics Part 4
VT-10 Dixon-Breaking a Tennis Ball
VT-11 Dixon-Dripping Cup
VT-12 Dixon-Freezing liquid Nitrogen
VT-13 Dixon-Freezing Mercury
VT-14 Dixon-Making Ice Flow
VT-15 Dixon-Super Conductor
VT-16 General Relitivity Part 1
VT-17 General Relitivity Part 2
VT-18 Modal Analysis of Guitar/ Singing in the Shower
VT-19 Nova "The Strange new Science of Chaos"
VT-20 O Sounding Brass
VT-21 Our Favorite Physics Demonstrations Part 1
VT-22 Our Favorite Physics Demonstrations Part 2
VT-23 Physics Pilot " Conservation Laws of Mechanics"
VT-24 Power of Ten
VT-25 The Clarinet, The Washtub, The Musical Nails: How Music Works
VT-26 Tonal design and Tuning of Carbine Steel Drum
VT-27 Voice Sundberg/Vocal cords Sundberg

We also have some older films that are in the Super 8 format along with some 35mm Slides.

Laser disks

LD-1 to LD-45 Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations

LD-27,28 Saunders Physics Videodisc

LD-29 to LD-31Physics Film Classics 3 videodisks containing physics film classics ranging in length from 1 second to nearly five minutes, some old, some new, some black-and-white, some color. A Barcode Manual is available with these Laser Disks

LD-32 The Puzzle of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

LD-33 Sky Lab Physics

LD-34 The Films of Charles and Ray Eames

LD-35 Apollo 17

LD-36,37 The Best from Conceptual Physics Alive! A Barcode Manual is available with these Laser Disks

LD-38 to LD-62 The Mechanical Universe

Dr. Richard E. Berg, University of Maryland

A waveform generator, a loudspeaker and an oscilloscope are used to demonstrate the effects of varying the period, the amplitude and the wave shape of a sound wave

Mass-on-spring systems are used to analyze and graph the phenomena of damped and driven harmonic motion. The condition for resonance is discussed and examples shown (9 min.)

Coupled resonance are studied using several mechanical systems.

The sound of a bell in a jar becomes inaudible as the air is pumped from the jar. A gauge shows the air pressure in the jar.

The speed of sound is determined using an electronic wave generator, a loudspeaker, a microphone and an oscilloscope.

Light rays are focused by a concave mirror to a point. The audio analog experiment is performed using a concave spherical reflector. Finally, a beam of sound is produced using a speaker at the focal point of one reflector and is detected by a microphone placed at the focus of a second reflector.

Light rays are focused to a point by an optical lens. Acoustic lenses are produced by filling balloons with various gases, both heavy and light. Focusing and defocusing of sound waves is illustrated (3 min.)

Interference of sound is demonstrated using a Qunicke's interference tube. Young's two-source interference is illustrated visually with Moire patterns, and then acoustically, using loudspeakers. This experiment is first performed in the studio, and then outside, to eliminate effects of reflection off of walls, floor and ceiling. An experiment is presented illustrating the effects of reversing the phase between the loudspeakers.

Using a sound collimator constructed from a speaker and a sound absorbent tube, diffraction effects are shown to be greater at low frequencies than at higher frequencies.

The Doppler Effect is shown by throwing a ball with a 3 kHz electronic whistle inside.

Using two audio oscillators, a mixer amplifier, a loudspeaker and a dual trace oscilloscope, various aspects of beats are studied. The individual waves are shown, with the sound varying in intensity as the phase of one wave shifts with respect to the other.

A standing wave is created between two speakers about a meter apart. One source is then replaced by a metal plate, and a standing wave is produced by the wave from the speaker with the reflected wave. Some details of standing sound waves are shown using a Kundt's tube driven by an audio oscillator.

Reflection of pulses of a transverse wave from fixed and free ends is examined using a Shive wave machine. A detailed study is then presented showing how sound pulses reflect off open and closed ends of an air column.

The overtone series through the tenth harmonic is illustrated using a Fourier synthesizer. First, the individual tones of the series are shown and then the sum is obtained. The harmonics obtained in the air columns are illustrated. Harmonics are excited in a violin string by bowing while touching it lightly at 1/N of its length. The harmonics of an aluminum rod are excited by stroking the rod with resin on fingers. Chords are shown by the Fourier synthesizer and Savart's disk demonstration.

A two-stringed sonometer is used to show the effect of changes in length, tension and mass/length on the fundamental frequency of a wire under tension.

A tuning fork is used to excite the fundamental mode in an air tube. The relationship between the fundamental modes of open and closed tubes of the same length is shown. Several other examples are also shown.

Blowing a plastic tube at one end in the manner of a trumpet shows that the tube behaves acoustically like a closed tube, with the lip end closed. The technique of obtaining the notes on a standard trumpet is demonstrated.

The use of magnetostriction in a nickel tube to drive Chladni plates is explained and demonstrated.

Triangular, square, sawtooth and pulse train waves are synthesized. The summed wave and the harmonic being added are shown simultaneously on a dual-trace oscilloscope, and the tone is heard as the harmonics are added or removed.

Sound curves and Fourier spectra are displayed simultaneously for some standard waves.

An oscilloscope is used to show the resonance of several devices and a resonance curve is plotted and shown.

Frequency modulation, amplitude modulation and balance modulation are demonstrated.

A videotape of physics demonstrations performed in space.

Demo 1. Paper airplanes are tossed and the effect of zero gravity is examined. (139 s)

Demo 2. A paddleball is used in space (201 s)

Demo 3. A Slinky demonstrates waveforms (274 s)

Demo 4. A ball and jacks are demonstrated in space (270 s)

Demo 5. Juggling in space is attempted (219 s)

Demo 6. Marbles with a magnet inside are examined in a zero gravity, no friction environment (290 s)

Demo 7. A wind-up toy mouse is shown in space (302 s)

Demo 8. Gyroscopes are presented in space (263 s)

Demo 9. A top is spun in space and mimics the gyroscope (177 s)

Demo 10. Conservation of momentum is shown with a Wheel (166 s)

Demo 11. A Yo-Yo is shown to operate quite differently in space (482 s)

Demo 12. Wind-up car on a looped track in space (202 s)

Press conference (290 s)

A demonstration is performed by firing two bullets into identical blocks of wood, but at different points on the two blocks. This gives one of the blocks angular momentum, yet the blocks travel to the same height, thus showing the conservation of linear momentum and energy. Conservation of angular momentum is described and applied to the block problem. Sufficient explanations of the three conservation laws are provided. (16 minutes)

This video is footage taken of the Powers of Ten filmstrip owned by the department. There is a better version of this film on the videodisk entitled "The Films of Charles and Ray Eames."

Prologue. The video presents demonstrations that are intended to be performed by an instructor in a classroom; this is not a video to be viewed by the class

Demo 1. Constant velocity, constant and variable acceleration

Demo 2. Dynamic and static equilibrium

Demo 3. Acceleration on an incline and in a pendulum

Demo 4. The inclined plane

Demo 5. Vector problems for students

Demo 6. Stoplight

Demo 7. Vectors and relative motion

Demo 8. The monkey and the hunter

Demo 9. Centripetal acceleration

Demo 10. Centripetal force

Demo 11. The bulldozer

Demo 12. The air and water rocket

Demo 13. Energy transformations

Demo 14. Resonance

Demo 15. The speed of sound in air

Demo 16. Vibrations of a rod and the speed of sound in aluminum

Demo 17. Images by reflection

Demo 18. Lenses and images

Demo 19. Diffraction and interference

Demo 20. Coulomb's law

Demo 21. Light bulbs in series

Demo 22. The electric hot dog

Demo 23. Alternating current

Demo 24. Force, field and foil

Demo 25. Electromagnetic effects

Demo 26. The photoelectric effect

Demo 1. Demonstration of weight by dropping a book and a piece of paper

Demo 2. Shows that gravity effects objects equally, regardless of initial motion

Demo 3. Law of inertia shown by pulling a tablecloth out from under several dishes

Demo 4. Action and reaction between bodies is demonstrated

Demo 5. Conservation of energy shown with a bowling ball suspended from a rope and let go directly in front of demonstrator's face.

Demo 6. Potential energy analyzed with dropping balls

Demo 7. The linear speed of several different points on a rotating wheel is shown

Demo 8. Center of gravity is examined

Demo 9. The difference in center of gravity of a sphere and a disk are shown

Demo 10. An object with mass concentrated at the center is shown to rotate faster than one with most of its mass near the edge

Demo 11. Balancing a broom, or a rocket, is demonstrated to be easier when there is more rotational inertia

Demo 12. A meter stick is balanced more easily when a weight resides on top

Demo 13. Demonstration that a satellite is simply a continuously falling body

Demo 14. A straw is used to pierce a potato

Demo 15. Difference between surface area and volume is demonstrated

Demo 16. Air is poured from a glass into an already full glass of liquid

Demo 17. Air pressure is used to keep water inside and upside down glass of water with a piece of paper on the rim and to crush hot pop cans immersed in cold water

Demo 18. Air pressure is demonstrated with a piece of rubber attached to a stool

Demo 19. Floating objects must displace enough water to support their weight

Demo 20. A demonstration of why the poles are colder than the equator

Demo 21. Demonstration of light and and reflection

Demo 22. Demonstration of why night is longer in winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Demo 23. Thermal expansion with a bimetal strip

Demo 24. The temperature of air is shown to depend on its volume

Demo 25. Resonance is demonstrated with two tuning forks

Demo 26. The frequency of light scattered by the atmosphere is demonstrated

Demo 27. Color physics with red, green and blue lights

Demo 28. Color physics with absorption of specific colors

Demo 29. The physics behind a rainbow

Part 1 provides a brief look at the general theory of relativity, about 10 or 15 minutes long before it ends.

Part 2 is the continuation of Part 1. It takes a look at the consequences of Einstein's theories, including black holes, space-time continua, Doppler shifts and cosmology. Discussions with many physicists about Einstein's work and what it portends for the future are illustrated in the video. The total running time is about 50 min.

An excellent introduction to chaos theory highlighting nonlinearity and strange attractors, including the water drop experiment. Applications of chaos in biology and medicine are illustrated. Many strange attractors are developed graphically to show the viewer the transition from order to randomness.

Cloud chamber tracks filmed on 5-8-1986 in black and white. Frames 0000 to 0560 are of Po-210 and frames 0560 to 1120 are of Th-240. A second video, filmed in color, also has cloud chamber tracks on it, but its quality is much poorer.

A video of two demonstrations performed by Dale Stille of the University of Iowa. He shows how a video camera, lens and a mag light can be used to produce a microscope that can be used to view a magnetic domain experiment and an experiment to produce Newton's rings. The video runs from frame 0000 to frame 1300.

1. Connect the Pioneer videodisc player to the TV or monitor.

2. Turn the power on the player and to the monitor, which should be set to Channel 4.

3. Press EJECT button, wait until player lid opens (very slightly), then insert the videodisc into the player with the label up for the side of interest.

4. Press PLAY and wait until videodisc is up to speed.

5. Press SEARCH then FRAME then enter number of frame to begin part of interest.

6. Press SEARCH then PLAY.

7. To slow down, back up, play one frame at a time, etc., use the various bars:

STILL/STEP will stop motion and allow stepping one frame at a time (forward or backward). No sound.

SLOW allows slow motion forward or backward at rate controlled by "Slow Speed" lever on its left. No sound.

SCAN moves very fast (forward or backward) while being held down. No sound.

FAST allows fast motion forward or backward at 3 times normal rate. No sound.

Toggling CHAPTER bar will display or remove chapter number at upper left.

Toggling FRAME bar will display or remove frame number at upper left.

LD-27 and 28: Saundar Physics Videodisc

This vediodisc accompanies the following Saunders Physics texts

Serway Principles of Physics

Kirkpatrick/Wheeler Physics: A World View

Serway Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3/e Updated Version

Serway College Physics, 3/e

LD-32: The Puzzle of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

(Single Videodisk)

This is a videodisc in the department’s collection. We also have an old film loop which is now obsolete; everything on the old film loop ¾ and more ¾ is found on the videodisk in better form. In an introductory course, a nice short presentation can start at Frame xxxx and continue to frame xxxxx. An alternative is to use portions from the beginning and end of Program 17 (Resonance) of the Mechanical Universe videodisk.

Chapter 1

Frames 580-1230 are the start of the videodisc

Frames 1280-5620: a brief history of the bridge and region in which it was built

Frames 5720-8400: the events of the day of the collapse are described by members of the toll authority in charge

Frames 8500-10530: the first person account of a man trapped on the bridge during its collapse

Frames 10650-12465: a description of the bridge’s collapse by an observer

Frames 12570-13650: the man trapped on the bridge during its most violent motion describes his feelings after reaching safety moments before collapse of the bridge

Chapter 2

Frames 13820-14480: several pictures of the day of the collapse with a narrator asking the viewer to about the influence of the wind on the bridge collapse

Frames 14550-15470: a model of the oscillating bridge is presented with a narrator again asking the viewer to explain the motion

Frames 15530-17240: the electric fan used as a wind source is shown to have three speeds while the demonstrator may also cause the wind to pulsate by alternately placing and removing an object in front of the fan.

Chapter 3 examines the effects on a model bridge of low, medium and high wind speed with a low frequency of pulses.

Chapter 4 examines the effects on a model bridge of low, medium and high wind speed with a high frequency of pulses.

Chapters 5 to 18 examine the properties of waves, with particular emphasis on the properties of standing waves. Topics covered include amplitude, frequency, fundamental frequency and vortices. Also included are several experiments for viewers to familiarize themselves with the mathematics of waves.

¾ Laurent Hodges (1995)

LD-33: Sky Lab

Index Under Construction

LD-34: The Films of Charles and Ray Eames

Side 1

Chapter 1: Introduction of Charles & Ray

Chapter 2: Overview of Volume Two Films

Chapter 3: Toccata for Toy Trains(1957)

Chapter 4: House: After Five Years of Living(1955)

Side 2:

Chapter 5: Lucia Chase Vignette(1976)

Chapter 6: Kaleidoscope Jazz Chair(1980)

Chapter 7: The Black Ships(1970)

Chapter 8: Blacktop(1952)

Chapter 9: Credits

Chapter 10: Color Bars

LD-34: Apollo 17

Mission To Taurus Littrow

Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt are your tour guides through the ancient lunar valley of Taurus Littrow. This Laser Disk contains more than 1,000 photographs and 50 minutes of video transmission from the moon.

The Best from Conceptual Physics Alive!

A Barcode Manual is available with these Laser Disks.

LD-36: Disk

Side 1

Chapter 0: Title Screen

Chapter 1: Definition of Speed

Chapter 2: Velocity

Chapter 3: Average Speed

Chapter 4: Definition of Acceleration

Chapter 5: Numerical Example of Acceleration

Chapter 6: Changing Velocity

Chapter 7: Free Fall : How Fast?

Chapter 8: V = gt

Chapter 9: Air Resistance & Falling Objects

Chapter 10: Free Fall: How Far?

Chapter 11: Falling Distance

Chapter 12: Vector Representation: How to Add and Subtract Vectors

Chapter 13: Geometric Addition of Vectors

Chapter 14: Projectile Motion

Chapter 15: Demo : Projectile Motion

Chapter 16: Demo: Newton's Law of Inertia

Chapter 17: Demo: The Old Tablecloth trick

Chapter 18: Demo: Inertia of Cylinder

Chapter 19: Why You Don't have to Hold the Toilet Paper Roll

Chapter 20: Demo: Weight-Mass Distinction

Chapter 21: Demo: Inertia of Anvil

Chapter 22: Definition of a Newton

Chapter 23: Force Causes Acceleration

Chapter 24: Newton's 2nd Law

Chapter 25: Free-Fall Acceleration Explained

Chapter 26: Demo: Friction

Chapter 27: Falling and Air Resistance

Chapter 28: Pressure: The Bed of Nails

Chapter 29: Forces and Interaction

Chapter 30: Demo: Action and Reaction of Different Masses

Chapter 31: Action and Reaction on Rifle and Bullet

Chapter 32: Definition of Momentum

Chapter 33: Changing Momentum - Follow through

Chapter 34: Decreasing Momentum Over a Short Time

Chapter 35: Demo: Bowling Ball and Conservation of Energy

Chapter 36: Conservation of Energy: Numerical Example

Chapter 37: Machines: Pulleys

Chapter 38: Rotational Speed

Chapter 39: Demo: Centripetal Force

Chapter 40: Why a all Rolls Down a Hill

Side 2

Chapter 0: Title Screen

Chapter 1: Simulated Gravity

Chapter 2: Locating the Center of Gravity

Chapter 3: Toppling

Chapter 4: Demo: Difference Between Torque and Weight

Chapter 5: Demo: Rotational Inertia Using Weighted Pipes

Chapter 6: Demo: Rotational Inertia Using a Hammer

Chapter 7: Demo: Rotational Inertia with a Weighted Rod

Chapter 8: Demo: Conservation of Angular Momentum Using a Rotating Platform

Chapter 9: Inverse Square Law

Chapter 10: Von Jolly's Method of Measuring the Attraction Between Two Masses

Chapter 11: Weight and Weightlessness

Chapter 12: Apparent Weightlessness

Chapter 13: Discovery of Neptune

Chapter 14: Gravitational Field Inside a Hollow Planet

Chapter 15: The Weight of an Object Inside a Hollow Planet but Not at its Center

Chapter 16: Circular Orbits

Chapter 17: The Twin Trip Animation

Chapter 18: Space and Time Travel

Chapter 19: Evidence for Atoms

Chapter 20: Atoms Are Recyclable

Chapter 21: Surface Area vs. Volume

Chapter 22: Scaling

Chapter 23: Dam Keeps Water in Place, Water Keeps Dam in Place

Chapter 24: Buoyancy

Chapter 25: Demo: Flotation

Chapter 26: Demo: Archimedes' Principle

Chapter 27: Demo: Air Has Weight

Chapter 28: Demo: Air Is Matter: Pouring Air from One Glass to Another

Chapter 29: Demo: Air Has Pressure

Chapter 30: Buoyancy of Air

LD-37: Disk 2

Side 3

Chapter 0: Title Screen

Chapter 1: Demo: Low Temperatures with Liquid Nitrogen

Chapter 2: Demo: Thermal Expansion

Chapter 3: Demo: How a Thermostat Works

Chapter 4: The Secret to Walking on Hot Coals

Chapter 5: Air is a Poor Conductor

Chapter 6: Boiling Is a Cooling Process

Chapter 7: Demo: Pressure Cooker and Boiling & Freezing at the Same Time

Chapter 8: Condensation Is a Warming Process

Chapter 9: Demo: Adiabatic Process

Chapter 10: Demo: Longitudinal vs. Transverse Waves

Chapter 11: Demo: Interference & Beats

Chapter 12: Doppler Effect

Chapter 13: Demo: Resonance

Chapter 14: Resonance & Bridges

Chapter 15: Tacoma Bridge Collapse

Chapter 16: Light & Transparent Materials

Chapter 17: Polarized Light & 3-D Viewing

Chapter 18: Demo: Colored Shadows

Chapter 19: Demo: Why Water Is Greenish Blue

Chapter 20: Yellow-Green Peak of Sunlight

Chapter 21: Demo: Why the Sky is Blue & Why the Sunset is Red

Chapter 22: Image Formation in a Mirror

Chapter 23: Demo: Model of Refraction

Chapter 24: Refraction of Sound

Chapter 25: Soap Bubble Interference

Chapter 26: The Rainbow

Side 4

Chapter 0: Title Screen

Chapter 1: Demo: Van de Graaff Generator

Chapter 2: Demo: Electric Potential

Chapter 3: Caution on Handling Electrical Wires

Chapter 4: Birds & High Voltage Wires

Chapter 5: Ohm's Law

Chapter 6: Alternating Current

Chapter 7: Demo: Electric Circuits

Chapter 8: Demo: Oersted's Discovery

Chapter 9: Demo: Magnetic Forces on Current-Carrying Wires

Chapter 10: Demo: Faraday's Law

Chapter 11: Applications of E&M Induction

Chapter 12: Electron Waves

Chapter 13: Radioactive Decay

Chapter 14: Half-Life

Chapter 15: Carbon Dating

Chapter 16: Nuclear Fission

Chapter 17: Plutonium

Chapter 18: Mass-Energy Equivalence

Chapter 19: Nuclear Fusion

Chapter 20: Controlling Nuclear Fusion