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Demonstrations

Identifier Title Summary
M: CM - 005 Mechanical Model of a Cream Separator

When a crank is turned, balls of dissimilar mass separate as they move through their circular path.

Mechanical Model of Cream Separator
M: CM - 006 Steam Engine with Fly-ball Governor

The changing speed of a governor causes the fly balls to change the radius of their circular path.

Engine with a flyball governor
M: CM - 007 Wooden Arc Puzzle

A puzzle uses the principles of circular motion to solve - get both balls into their locations on opposite sides of the arc.

The wooden arc puzzle rests on the table.
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
M: CM - 010 Merry-Go-Round

A wheel with a piece of clay on it is sped up until the clay flies from the wheel.

Motor with rotating platform and piece of clay
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: CM - 012 Cycloid

A cycloid pattern is created on the chalk board.

The pattern of the cycloid apparatus is visible on the chalk board
M: CM - 013 Ball on a String

A tennis ball is attached to a string.

Tennis Ball on a String
M: D - 001 Spring-loaded Car

A car with a plunger moves away from a stationary board with differing masses on it.  

2 Plunger Cars, 1 lightweight brick, 1 heavy brick
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: 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: D - 004 Two Carts of Unequal Mass that Move Apart

Two carts, one with a mass and the other without, are held together (with a spring between them) by a piece of string.  When the string is cut, the carts move away from each other.

Two carts of unequal mass, storage device, and scissors
M: D - 005 Air Track

See M: K - 9 for details.

Air tracks in 3 sizes
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: 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
M: D - 009 Water Rocket

A water-powered rocket is launched to an impressive height.

Water Rocket, Launcher, and Loading Funnel
M: D - 010 Coin and Feather Falling Simultaneously in Air and in a Vacuum

All objects will fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance

A coin and a feather rest inside a sealed plastic tube.
M: D - 011 Collision Phenomena with Air Table

Pucks are set in motion in a frictionless environment.

3 pucks rest on an air table
M: D - 012 Inertial Balance

An inertial balance demonstrates how mass can be obtained without using gravity.

Inertial balance and masses
M: D - 013 Atwood's Machine

A working version of Atwood's Machine

Atwood's Machine
M: D - 015 Chaos Pendulum

A magnetic pendulum's motion is the result of forces created by the placement of 8 magnets.

Chaos pendulum rests on a table
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: D - 018 Gravitational Force

A 1-kg mass is hung from a 20-N scale to demonstrate that acceleration due to gravity on earth is 9.8 m/s^2.

1-kg mass hangs from a 20-N scale
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: 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: 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 - 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
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: EngMom - 003 Newton's Cradle

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

Newton's Cradle apparatus
M: EngMom - 004 Toy Yo-Yo

Your choice of yo-yo from a small selection

Yellow Yo-yo, Green yo-yol, and White yo-yo
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.
M: EngMom - 006 V-Track

A roller is sent down a v-shaped track.

V track in storage position
M: EngMom - 007 Wavy Track

2 types of rollers (smooth and rough) roll along a wavy track.

A wavy track, a piece of foam, and 2 rollers rest on a table.
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: 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
M: EngMom - 011 Double Cone and Diverging Ways

A double cone rolls on a diverging track in an unexpected manner.

A double cone rests on a diverging track.
M: EngMom - 012 Air Track

For details, see M: K - 9 

3 different sizes of air track
M: EngMom - 014 Flexible Track

A ball rolls on a flexible track; one side of apparatus has Loop-the-Loop and others side is U-shaped

Loop the Loop
M: EngMom - 015 Magic Rollback Can

A can will roll away from the lecturer, pause, and roll back toward the lecturer.

Yellow can
M: EngMom - 016 Hammer and Nail
M: EngMom - 017 Various Shapes

Various shapes with center of mass marked are thrown.

Various cardboard shapes: Circle, Snowman, Half-circle; A ping pong paddle; A foam amoeba w/ light
M: EngMom - 018 Hopper Popper

A rubber half-sphere is turned inside out and dropped providing surprising results.

2 hopper poppers rest on on the table.
M: EngMom - 019 The Rattleback

A rattleback, set in a rocking motion, will begin to rotate.

2 rattlebacks, one in the package, one not
M: EngMom - 020 The Vortex

A coin dropped into a funnel-like device swirls into an opening.

Yellow Vortex Apparatus
M: EngMom - 021 Happy/Sad Balls

Two balls are dropped onto the table - one bounces, the other does not. 

2 black balls rest on a table
M: EngMom - 022 Hooke's Law

Springs of differing spring constants are used to demonstrate Hooke's Law

3 different colored springs of different spring constants have identical masses hanging from them
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 - 024 Astroblaster, etc.

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

Basketball, Superball, and Astroblaster
M: EngMom - 025 Map of Iowa

A map of Iowa is used to determine center of mass.

Map of Iowa hanging from a ring stand
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