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Demonstrations

Identifier Title Summary
M: Rot - 004 Motor-Driven Gyroscope

A motorized gyroscope demonstrates gyroscopic motion.  2 weights are included in order to vary the motion.

Motor-driven Gyroscope
E&M: AC - 008 Music and Coils
E&M: Ind - 026 Music and Coils

Sound is wirelessly transmitted from the hand-held radio to a speaker by using coils of wire.

2 coils of wire, a speaker, and a hand-held radio
M: WM&S - 048 Musical Instruments
M: WM&S - 027 Musical Slats
M: D - 003 Newton's 3rd Law on Scooters

Two students on scooters can pull toward each other on scooters.

Two scooters and a rope
M: EngMom - 003 Newton's Cradle

Traditional Newton's Cradle apparatus composed of 9 smaller balls and 1 larger ball.

Newton's Cradle apparatus
L: W - 018 Newton's Rings

Interference between 2 thin films can be seen under the document camera and projected for the lecture hall to see

Newton's Ring Apparatus on Document Camera
M: WM&S - 053 Organ Pipes/Vibrating Columns of Air

A large pan-flute made of open-pipe tubes is used to demonstrate the physics of organs.

Large pan flute
FL: HD - 003 Paper Sucked by Blower

A sheet of air applied to an index card causes the card to be sucked upward toward the source rather than outward and away from the source.

Brass-plated air hose lying next to an index card.
T: H - 016 Paper with Wood and Metal
T: H - 024 Paraffin Cake and Dissimilar Cylinders

5 cylinders made of different metals are heated and placed on top of a paraffin cake to demonstrate their differences in specific heat.

5 dissimilar cylinders melt through paraffin at different rates
FL: HS - 005 Pascal's Vases

An apparatus consisting of differently shaped containers connected by a common tube are filled with colored water.

Pascal's vases and a beaker of colored water
M: D - 006 Pedestal Inertia

A card on a pedestal is given a push.  The ball resting on top falls into the cub beneath the card.

Pedestal with a card on top has a ball on top of the card
M: SHM - 015 Pendulum - Different Length, Same Mass

2 pendula have identical masses attached, but one is 4 times longer than the other.

2 pendula of identical mass but differing length
M: SHM - 014 Pendulum - Same Length, Different Mass

Two pendulums of identical length have different masses attached at the end

2 pendulums - same length, different mass
E&M: M - 010 Penetration of magnetic Effects

Different materials are used to show the ability of a magnetic field to penetrate through to the nails on the other side.

A magnet, a box of nails, and pieces of rubber, glass, plastic, iron, and copper
M: CM - 009 Penny on a Coat Hanger

A quarter remains attached to a hanger when spun in a vertical circle.

A hanger and a quarter
E&M: ES - 015 Periodic Capacitor Discharge
E&M: AC - 003 Phasors

The apparatus from K: M - 6 is used to show phasors

Wooden Arrow Apparatus
E&M: C - 016 Photoelectric Effect

A flashlight shone onto a photoelectric tube creates an audible sound; a UV LED produces a current spike in an analog ammeter

Audio photoelectric apparatus + Flashlight
L: W - 043 Photoelectric Effect

Visual and audio demonstration of photoelectrics

Photoelectric Apparatus
FL: HS - 021 Physics Sucks

Water is sucked through a hose suspended from a hook on the ceiling

A long tube is coiled inside of a box.
E&M: C - 021 Piezoelectric Crystal
M: EngMom - 010 Pile Driver

Using the distance a nail penetrates a block of wood when struck by a pile driver, the energy of impact can be calculated.

Pile Driver aparatus, a wooden block, and a nail
FL: HD - 007 Ping Pong Ball in Funnel of Air

A ping pong ball becomes trapped in a funnel of air.

Funnel attached to a hose, box of ping pong balls
L: GO - 001 Pinhole Projector
T: H - 035 Pipe Pops its Cork due to Heating

Friction generated between wooden slats and a metal pipe causes water inside the pipe to vaporize, thus blowing the stopper out of the end.

A wheel, a motor with an attached pipe, 2 allen wrenches, and hinged wooden slats
L: GO - 053 Plastic Blocks with Laser

A laser beam is passed through plastic blocks

Triangular plastic block and rectangular plastic block
L: W - 027 Polarizing Lenses

3 polarizing plates can be used with an overhead projector to show the polarization of light.

Overhead projector with polarizing plates
L: W - 016 Prisms

A selection of prisms readily available for use outside of Physics Hall.

4 prisms housed in pink foam
L: GO - 007 Prisms of Various Materials
M: S - 004 Pulley Systems

An assortment of pulleys

4 separate pulleys hang from a horizontal rod.
M: Rot - 009 Pulleys of Unequal Mass

Identical masses are hung from 2 pulleys that have different masses.  The masses are dropped at the same time and the effects of the differing moments of inertia is evident.

Two pulleys of different masses mounted on a stand rod
M: D - 008 Pulling Paper from Vertical Rod

A piece of paper is pulled from beneath a vertical rod while the rod remains stationary.

Metal rod on piece of paper
FL: HS - 024 Pythagoras Cup

A trick cup is used to demonstrate a siphon effect.

A pythagoras cup rests on the desk.
T: H - 019 Radiation Transfer with Mirrors

Two parabolic mirrors are used to transfer the heat from one, across the demo bench, to light matches in the other.

2 cones mounted across the bench from each other.
M: D - 019 Ramp and Wood Block

A wood block with 2 different sizes slides down a ramp at different rates.

A ramp with a wooden block resting on it.
M: WM&S - 015 Reflection of Sound Waves
T: H - 026 Regelation of Ice

Due to pressure, a wire melts through an ice cube that remains intact.

2 kg hang from a wire placed atop an ice cube - apparatus is hung from a ring stand; a cup of ice rests nearby
M: WM&S - 021 Resonance Boxes

Striking 1 bar with the mallet will produce tone on the other; Striking both bars, with a clip on 1, will produce beats.

Two resonance boxes and a mallet
M: SHM - 011 Resonance Gyroscope

A gyroscope set in motion causes prongs to vibrate.  As the speed changes, the frequency of vibration changes, and different prongs exhibit resonance.

A resonance gyroscope rests on a table
M: WM&S - 039 Resonance Rods

6 wooden cubes of 3 differing colors and lengths are attached to a board.  Wobbling the board back and forth at a different frequency will cause resonance in different colors of cubes

Resonance Rod Apparatus
M: WM&S - 004 Ripple Tank

Water in a ripple tank is used to demonstrate wave interference and diffraction.

A ripple tank sits atop an over head projector
E&M: Ind - 017 RL Circuit

A waveform is produced on an oscilloscope to show voltage across a resistor and an inductor in a circuit

Apparatus for the RL Circuit Demo
M: K - 007 Roller on Inclined Plane
M: Rot - 003 Rotating Platform - Conservation of Angular Momentum

A person sits on a rotating platform and extends their arms outward (with barbells).  As they rotate, they bring their arms in to their chest.

Rotating platform, stool, and barbells
M: WM&S - 019 Rotating Tuning Fork
T: H - 002 Sagging Wire

As current is passed through a wire, it heats up and expands

A paper card hands from a wire suspended between 2 points
M: SHM - 016 Same Spring with Different Masses

Two identical springs have masses of differing amounts hung from them.  They are set in oscillation.

Two identical springs with different masses suspended from them