Physics 207 Lecture Demonstrations
Here is a list of demos that have been used for this course in the past and are grouped by Lecture days. This list is only a reference guide and may differ from actual demos used in lecture depending on which faculty is teaching this course.
Lecture 1
Introduction to the course:
- Classical and Modern Physics posters
Lecture 2
Problem solving and error analysis:
- Standard length standards
[:StandardMasses:Masses and Balance Scale}
- Spherical flask of liquid (17.5 cm) (To weigh)
- Balance scale (to weigh sphere)
- 4 1-kg masses
- Meter stick
- Large wooden calipers
Lecture 3
1-D Motion:
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Ball of cotton
- Acceleration track
- Crisp dollar bill (reaction time)
Lecture 4
Measurement and vectors
- Classical and modern physics posters
- Force board
- String and block
- Meter stick (reaction time)
Lecture 5
2-D motion
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Water stream demo with protractor
- Monkey and hunter
- Ball on a string
Lecture 6
Catch-up lecture
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
Water stream demo with protractor -Can't be used with our unregulated water pressure
- Monkey and hunter
- Ball on a string
Lecture 7
Laws of motion
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- 1-kg mass
- Beaker and cloth
- Pail of water
- Ball and cut string
- Air track
- Inertia block
- Wood block
- Rope anchored in wall
- Hammer and nail
Lecture 8
Circular motion
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Spring scale with mass
- Slide of coefficients of friction
- Block and string
- Inclined plane with blocks and carts
- Atwood Machine
- Ball on a string
- Conical pendulum
- Block on a rotating table
- Object falling in viscous fluid
Lecture 9
Work and energy
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Block and string
- Hooke's law
- Air track
- Springs with different spring constants
Lecture 10
Potential energy
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Wood block
- Hooke’s law
- Bowling ball pendulum
- Come-back can
- Ball rolling in troughs
- Loop-the-loop
- Weight lifting machine (power demo)
- 1-kg mass
Lecture 11
Linear momentum and collisions
Rubber Ball - Commonly used as an analogy demo
- Non-bouncing ball
- Air track
- Momentum balls
- Air table
- Water rocket
- CO2 rocket
- Rotating platform with basketball and CO2
- Rocketcycle
Lecture 12
Rotational motion
- Center-of-gravity boards
- Cylinder, sphere, disk, hoop samples
- Torque board
- Rolling chain
- Weight and axle
- Moving spool
- Yo-yo
- Rotating platform
- Center-of-mass cone on inclined plane
Lecture 13
Catch-up lecture
- Cylinder, sphere, disk, hoop samples
- Torque board
- Rolling chain
- Weight and axle
- Moving spool
- Yo-yos
- Rotating platform
- Center of mass con on inclined plane
- Loop-the-loop
Lecture 14
Angular momentum
- Objects rolling down inclined plane
- Ball on string
- Rotating masses on pulleys
- Barbells on rotating platform
Physics 207 Lecture Demonstrations
Here is a complete list of demos that have been used for this course in the past and contains Honors lecture suggestions. They are grouped by Lecture days thanks to Clint Sprott. This list is only a reference guide and may differ from actual demos used in lecture depending on which faculty is teaching this course.
Lecture 1
Introduction to the Course
- Handouts
- Display Course Web Site
Lecture 2
Problem Solving and Error Analysis
- Attendance computer
- Meter stick and length standards
- Masses and balance scale
- Clock
- Metronome
- Spherical flask of liquid (17.5-cm diameter)
- Balance scale (to weigh sphere)
- 4 1-kg masses
- Meter stick
- Large wooden calipers
Lecture 3
1-D Motion
- Rubber ball
- Ball of cotton
- Guinea and feather tube
- Aluminum inclined plane
- Crisp dollar bill (reaction time)
Lecture 4
Vectors
- Force board
- String and block
- Meter stick (reaction time)
Lecture 5
Frames of Reference
- Attendance computer
- Frames of Reference (film - 30 minutes)
- Rubber ball
Lecture 6
2-D Motion
- Rubber ball
- Dropped and fired balls
- Ballistics car
- Water stream demo with protractor
- Monkey and hunter
- Ball on a string
- Physics Demos program
Lecture 7
Laws of Motion
- Rubber ball
- 1-kg mass
- Beaker and cloth
- Pail of water
- Ball and cut string
- Air track
- Inertia ball
- Wood block
- Rope anchored in wall
- Hammer and nail
Lecture 8
Feynman video
- Attendance computer
- The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (Feynman video) - 55 minutes
Lecture 9
Catchup Lecture
- Rubber ball
- Wood block
- Rope anchored in wall
- Hammer and nail
- Spring scale with mass
- Slide of coefficients of friction
- Block and string
- Inclined plane with blocks and carts
- Atwood Machine
Lecture 10
Review
- No demos
Lecture 11
Exam #1
- No demos
Lecture 12
Circular Motion
- Bench computer on Internet with display panels
- Rubber ball
- Ball on a string
- Conical pendulum
- Block on rotating table
- Object falling in viscous fluid
Lecture 13
Work and Kinetic Energy
- Rubber ball
- Block and string
- Hooke's law
- Air track
- Springs with different spring constants
- 1-kg mass
Lecture 14
Physics of the 21st Century
- Department Anniversary at the Pyle Center
- No demos
Lecture 15
Potential Energy
- Rubber ball
- Wood block
- Hooke's law
- Bowling ball pendulum
- Come-back can
- Ball rolling in troughs
- Loop-the-loop
- Weight-lifting machine (power demo)
- 1-kg mass
Lecture 16
Linear Momentum and Collisions
- Rubber ball
- Non-bouncing ball
- Air track
- Momentum balls
- Air table
- Water rocket
- CO2 rocket
- Rotating platform with basketball and CO2
- Rocketcycle
Lecture 17
Physics of Imagination and Creativity
- Attendance computer
- Consult Prof. John Cameron for any required demos
Lecture 18
Rotational Motion
- Center-of-gravity boards
- Cylinder, sphere, disk, hoop samples
- Torque board
- Rolling chain
- Weight and axle
- Moving spool
- Yo-yos
- Rotating platform
- Center-of-mass cone on inclined plane
Lecture 19
Angular Momentum
- Objects rolling down inclined plane
- Ball on string
- Rotating masses on pulleys
- Barbells on rotating platform
- Gyroscopes (including bicycle wheel)
- Spinning tops
Lecture 20
Seasons, Tides and Phases of the Moon
- Attendance computer
- Overhead projector
- A Private Universe (video) - 18-minute version
- Globe (10-inch) and bright light source (100 W lamp)
- Solar system model
- Tennis ball
Lecture 21
Catchup Lecture
- Cylinder, sphere, disk, hoop samples
- Torque board
- Rolling chain
- Weight and axle
- Moving spool
- Yo-yos
- Rotating platform with barbells
- Center-of-mass cone on inclined plane
- Loop-the-loop
Lecture 22
Review
- No demos
Lecture 23
Exam #2
- No demos
Lecture 24
Static Equilibrium and Elasticity
- Bench computer on Internet with display panels
- Wooden block
- Rubber ball
- Leaning tower
- Deck of cards
- Seesaw
- Ladder against wall
- Horizontal string with weight at center
- Block and tackles
- Young's modulus
Lecture 25
Oscillatory Motion
- Mass on a spring (with dashpot)
- Simple pendulum
- Comparison with circular motion
- Physical pendulum
- Torsional pendulum
- Coupled pendula
- Wilberforce pendulum
- Driven pendulum or mass on spring
- Bowling ball and softball pendulums with timer
Lecture 26
Chaos and Randomness
- Attendance computer
- Metronome
- Magnetic pendulum
- Chaotic double pendulum
- My laptop PC with LCD panels
- Driven cart with pendulum, balls in troughs, aquarium
- Chaotic toy
- Ball on oscillating floor
- Firehose instability with compressed air
- Dripping faucet
Lecture 27
The Laws of Gravity
- Cavendish model
- Solar system model
- Rubber ball
Lecture 28
Fluid Mechanics
- Weight of air
- Magdeburg hemispheres
- Manometer
- Archimedes principle
- Hydrolic press
- Bernoulli demo (pipe with flowing water)
- Bernoulli (levitated) ball
- Airfoils
- Venturi tube
- Aspirator
- Curve Ball
- Frisbee
- Toilet paper roll and air jet
Lecture 29
Fractals
- Attendance computer
- My laptop
- Fractal music on PA
Lecture 30
Wave Motion
- Multiple coupled pendula
- Rope anchored in wall
- Wave speed on a rope (index cards)
- Compressional wave demo (horizontal slinky)
- Torsional waves (horizontal and vertical)
Lecture 31
Sound Waves
- Prof. Don Cox will give this lecture and may have other demo needs
- Sound-level meter
- Speed of sound
- Doppler demo
- Doppler cassette recording of train whistle
- Bell in vacuum
- Breathing Helium and Sulfur Hexafluoride
- Tuning fork
- Flame pipe
Lecture 32
Astrophysics
- Attendance computer
- See Prof. Don Cox for any required demos
Lecture 33
Superposition and Standing Waves
- Interference of sound
- Driven wave on string with strobe lamp
- Open and closed organ pipes
- Beats with organ pipes and tuning forks
- Oscilloscope and microphone
- Sine and square waves, noise source (with speaker)
- Musical instruments
- Dog whistle
Lecture 34
Temperature
- Examples of thermometers
- Thermal expansion demos
- PVT surface of ideal gas
- Pistons
Lecture 35
Catchup Lecture
- Demos to be determined
Lecture 36
Review
- No demos
Lecture 37
Exam #3
- No demos
Lecture 38
Heat and 1st Law of Thermodynamics
- PVT surfaces - ideal gas, H2O, CO2
- Mechanical equivalence of heat
- Freezing by evaporation
- Thermal conductivity
- Heat convection (candle)
- Heat radiation (parabolic mirrors)
Lecture 39
Kinetic Theory
- Kinetic theory simulator (ball bearings)
- Kinetic theory demonstrator (Mercury tube)
- Variation of sound speed with temperature (?)
- Balloon
Lecture 40
The Wonders of Physics Fun Lecture
- Attendance computer
- Benchtop PC and LCD displays
- "The Wonders of Physics" poster on easel
- Liquid nitrogen - tygon, banana, nail, clear balloon and dish
- Leidenfrost effect (hotplate and eye dropper of water)
- Liquid nitrogen cannon
- Collapsing pop can in water tray
- Collapsing paint can
- Video of collapsing oil drum
- Candle trough with dry ice
- Exploding soap bubbles (natural gas and bubble pipe)
- Exploding balloons (Helium and Hydrogen with ignition stick)
- Needle through clear balloon (with scotch tape)
- Ziploc bag of water and pencil
- Neutral buoyancy balloon (Helium balloon with long heavy string)
- Hero's engine
- Model geyser
- Non-burning dollar bill (or handkerchief)
- Ethanol vapor explosion with hand-held Tesla coil
- Evacuated bell jar with balloon and marshmallows and/or shaving creme
- Tornado bottle
- Liquid nitrogen cloud
Lecture 41
Entropy and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
- Automobile engine model
- Carnot cycle model
- Sterling engine
Lecture 42
Review and Wrap-up
- No demos
- Teaching evaluations