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Demonstrations

Identifier Title Summary
E&M: AC - 006 High Frequency EM Waves Electromagnetic Standing Waves
FL: HD - 002 2 Balls in Air Jet
M: D - 020 2 Pulleys + 3 Masses

A rope tied between 2 1-kg masses is hung over 2 identical pulleys.  A 500-g mass is hung from the horizontal rope and the angle is calculated.

3 masses hung from 2 pulleys
M: S - 005 2 Scales and a Board

A board is placed across 2 scales.  A weight is rolled between scales to show how the weight is shared.

A board is placed across 2 antique scales
E&M: C - 023 3 Batteries and 2 Bulbs

Two 9V batteries are connected in series with 2 bulbs.  A 3rd battery is added in parallel with one of the bulbs.

2 9V Batteries are in series with 2 bulbs.  A 3rd battery is in parallel with 1 bulb
E&M: M - 039 3D Magnetic Field

A 3-dimensional model of the magnetic field surrounding a magnet; apparatus is dissectable 

3D Domain Apparatus
M: S - 002 5-lb Weight in Center of Rope

A 5-lb weight is placed in the center of a piece of rope.  Someone attempts to make the rope horizontal.

A 5-lb weight is hung in the center of a piece of rope extended over the lecture bench and an additional demo bench
L: GO - 014 Aberrations
E&M: AC - 007 AC Lights Bulb, DC Does Not
M: D - 002 Action-Reaction Forces with Air Table

A car on a glass plate demonstrates Newton's 3rd Law using an air table for a frictionless environment.

A car and a glass plate on the air table
M: K - 001 Addition of Displacement Vectors

A self-propelled car is used in conjunction with overhead transparencies to model vectors and vector addition

Overhead transparencies, white paper, self-propelled car, overhead markers
FL: HD - 008 Air Across Paper

An air jet directed across a piece of paper is used to demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle.

Blower, piece of paper
M: WM&S - 013 Air Currents and Rotating Disk
M: EngMom - 012 Air Track

For details, see M: K - 9 

3 different sizes of air track
M: D - 005 Air Track

See M: K - 9 for details.

Air tracks in 3 sizes
M: K - 009 Air Track

An air track (1 of 3 sizes) is used to demonstrate assorted concepts related to kinematics, dynamics, energy, and momentum.

Large air track, small air track, and air track mini in the lecture hall
E&M: C - 018 Alternating Current RC Series Circuit

A frequency generator is used to produce a square wave that shows the charge and discharge curves of an RC series circuit

Oscilloscope output of a capacitor and the power source
M: WM&S - 023 Amplify Tuning Fork with Mouth
L: W - 023 Arago's Spot

A small dot will be visible in the shadow of a sphere when placed in a laser beam.

Entire length of demonstration - laser with spreader, ball bearing, and blackboard
M: D - 021 Army Men with Parachutes

An army man with a parachute is tossed into the air.

Two army men (one yellow, one green) with blue parachutes
M: EngMom - 024 Astroblaster, etc.

A stack of balls is dropped, resulting in unexpected results for the top-most ball.

Basketball, Superball, and Astroblaster
M: D - 013 Atwood's Machine

A working version of Atwood's Machine

Atwood's Machine
M: WM&S - 043 Audio Beats

Two frequency generators are used to produce beats, consonance, and/or dissonance

Oscilloscope, 2 Frequency Generators, and a Speaker
M: EngMom - 008 Ball in Funnel

A ball moves around the inside of a funnel to demonstrate conservation of energy

A glass funnel rests next to 2 balls
M: CM - 013 Ball on a String

A tennis ball is attached to a string.

Tennis Ball on a String
M: EngMom - 023 Ball on Vertical Spring

A ball is compressed on a vertical spring and released.

A rod with a spring is clamped to a bench; a whiffle ball rests on top of the spring
M: EngMom - 002 Ballistic Pendulum

A ball is shot horizontally into a ballistic pendulum, which in turn moves a marker on a meter stick.  

Ballistic pendulum suspended from a horizontal rod.
M: Rot - 007 Bars with Different Moments of Inertia

Two bars of equal mass have different moments of inertia, which is evident upon attempting to rotate them.

2 Bars with Different Moments of Inertia
FL: HD - 004 Beach Ball Trapped in Air

An inflatable beach ball or globe with sand in the bottom is trapped in a jet of air

Air pump, beach ball, and inflatable globe
M: D - 017 Bed of Nails

The lecturer rests on a bed of nails, yet remains unharmed.

A bed of nails in Cylcone colors
M: WM&S - 014 Bell in a Jar: Sound in a Vacuum

A bell ringing in a jar cannot be heard when air has been removed from the jar

A bell is contained within an air tight jar.
FL: HD - 006 Bernoulli's Effect in Tube of Changing Diameter

Ping pong balls suspended above holes in a tube a changing diameter demonstrate changes in air pressure throughout the tube.

The tube of changing diameter rests next to a box of ping pong ballls
M: CM - 011 Bicycle Wheel

A small bicycle wheel is mounted to a cart or bench for use in explaining circular or rotational motion

A small bicycle wheel is mounted to a cart
M: Rot - 011 Bicycle Wheel Gyroscope

A bicycle wheel is used to demonstrate gyroscopic properties when used by someone on a rotating platform

A stool rests on a rotating platform.  Nearby, a bicycle wheel rests near a foot pedal-driven motor.
M: Rot - 012 Bicycle Wheel on Vertical Rod

A bicycle wheel balances on a vertical point to demonstrate simple gyroscopic behavior

A bicycle wheel rests on a bench next to a ring stand with a pointed tip
T: H - 003 Bimetallic Strips

A strip composed of two different types of metals is dipped into a dewar of liquid Nitrogen.  Since the metals contract at a different rate, they will curve one direction or the other.

Two metal strips composed of different types of metal sit on the bench top.
T: H - 052 Bimetallic Strips with Light Bulbs

A bimetallic strip is used to light one of 2 bulbs, depending on which direction it bends when it is heated.

Light bulb and bimetallic strip apparatus
M: EngMom - 005 Black Board Pendulum

Even though the swing of a pendulum is interrupted, it will still return to its expected height.

Mobile black board with a horizontal line drawn on it; pendulum with a ball on the end is attached via magnet.
L: GO - 045 Blackboard Optics Kit

A 5-beam Laser Box is used in conjunction with various mirrors and lenses to show concepts in geometric optics.

Blackboard Optics Kit
T: H - 015 Boiling Water in Plastic Bottle
T: H - 033 Boiling Water with an Ice Cube

Water boils due to the presence of an ice cube.

Flask of water, bunsen burner, stand for boiling, ice cubes, gloves
M: SHM - 003 Bowling Ball for Simple Harmonic Motion

A bowling ball suspended from the ceiling oscillates back and forth providing an opportunity for calculations.

A bowling ball is suspended from the ceiling
M: Rot - 006 Bowling Ball on Air
M: EngMom - 001 Bowling Ball Pendulum

A bowling ball suspended from the ceiling is used to demonstrate conservation of energy.

A bowling ball is suspended from the ceiling
FL: HS - 018 Box with 2 Holes

A container of water with 2 holes (one above the other) demonstrates the differences in fluid pressure by depth.

An acrylic box has 2 holes on the side.  Water pours from the holes into another container
T: H - 043 Boyle's Law with Syringes

Syringes with weights are used to demonstrate Boyle's Law.

1-kg mass atop a piston made from a syringe and wood blocks; an extra weight rests nearby
M: Rot - 010 Brass Gyroscope

A brass gyroscope is set in motion using a small motor.  It is then allowed to freely spin on the bench or floor.

Brass Gyroscope
E&M: M - 013 Breaking a Magnet

A magnet is broken to show that 2 magnets are created, not 2 disconnected poles

A bar magnet with 2 clearly marked poles
M: EngMom - 026 Breaking Boards

Square boards are broken using either the lecturer's hand or foot.

2 square boards are stacked and placed across a gap between 2 large wooden blocks
L: W - 025 Brewster's Angle