Demonstrations in Class for Physics 150, Fall 2004
  1. Lecture 1: Introduction
    1. Newton's Cradle
    2. Tesla Coil with Light Bulb
    3. Atomic Spectral Lines and Diffraction Gratings
  2. Lecture 2: Astronomy: The problem of the planets
    1. Sun, Earth, and Moon Rotations
    2. Shadows on Earth by Sun - I
    3. Shadows on Earth by Sun - II
    4. Kepler's laws illustrated with demos from Web site "Java Applets on Physics"
    5. Elliptical orbital motion shown with applet from here.
  3. Lecture 3:   Mechanics -- Description of Motion
    1. Bow and arrow
    2. Toy cars with small and large friction
    3. Steel Balls of different weight
    4. Steel plate onto which to drop the balls
    5. Balls dropping in water, glycerin
    6. Bowling ball rolling on incline with flashing lights
    7. Constant acceleration using demos from Web site "Java Applets on Physics"
    8. Penny and Feather dropping in air and vacuum
    9. Two Ball Drop
    10. Shoot the Monkey
    11. Projectile motion using demos from Web site "Java Applets on Physics"
  4. Lecture 4: Galileo and Newton
    1. Tractor on a card
    2. Vectors: Circular chalkboard and magnetic stick-on vectors Also using demos from Web site "Java Applets on Physics"
    3. Cannon on a cart
    4. Cannon on a cart with pulley (same equipment as above)
  5. Lecture 5: Newton's 3 Laws and the Universal Law of Gravitation
    1. Rocket Cart (Fire Extinguisher cart)
    2. Skate board
    3. Newton's Fan Cart
    4. Ball on a string
  6. Lecture 6:  Newton's Laws, Gravitation
    1. Leaky cup drop
    2. Table cloth + dishes
    3. Mouse trap on car
    4. Leaning Tower
    1. Balancing bottle and block of wood
    2. Balancing bird
    3. Balloons with pump
  7. Lecture 7: Conservation Laws
    1. Pendulum cart
    2. Glancing collisions
    3. Bowling ball on wire from ceiling
    4. Roller coaster
    5. Flywheel
    6. Pyramid power top
  8. Lecture 8: First, Second Law of Thermodynamics
    1. Bowling ball on wire from ceiling
    2. Loop the loop
    3. Dye dropped into water
    4. Bicycle pump piston with thermometer
    5. Fire starter
    6. Liquid Nitrogen steam engine
    7. Tacoma Narrows bridge video
  9. Lecture 9:  Exam Review
    1. Liquid nitrogen and baloon
    2. Cannon on a cart
    3. Two Ball Drop
    4. Skate board
    5. Shadows on Earth by Sun - I
    6. Ballistic pendulum
    7. Paddle boat
    8. Newton's Cradle
    9. Ball on a string
  10. Lecture 10: Electric and Magnetic Forces
    1. Pith Balls and Rod
    2. Van de Graaf Generator
    3. Van de Graaf and popcorn
    4. Wimhurst Machine (Turning wheel with wire brushes that generates large voltages)
    5. Bar magnets
    6. Current loop apparatus
    7. Electromagnetic cannon
    8. Electromagnetic cannon lights a light bulb
      1. Purpose:  Induced electric and magnetic fields
  11. Lecture 11: Maxwell: Electromagnetism & Electromagnetic Waves
    1. Tesla Coil and tubes with neon gas; fluorescent tubes
    2. Electric fields with seeds on overhead
    3. Superconductor and small magnet
    4. Commercial plasma ball
    5. Two tesla coils
    6. Iron filings with bar magnet on overhead
  12. Lecture 12: Waves and Interference
    1. Lumirod and laser pointer
    1. Transverse wave on rope
    1. Bell in vacuum
    1. Ripple tank on overhead
    1. Green and red lasers through diffraction grating
    1. Michelson interferometer
    2. Wine glass and corn syrup
    1. Lucite refraction on overhead
    2. Interference of light from laser and two slits
  13. Lecture 13:  Practical probability and statistics
    1. Chaos and electric field
    2. Geiger counter
    3. Flipping pennies
  14. Lecture 14:  Summary of classical physics and the birth of modern physics
    1. Black box and sodium lamp
    2. Speakers (sound wave interference)
    1. Tractor on sheet of paper
    1. Michelson interferometer
    1. Java demo of Michelson-Morley experiment
  1. Lecture 15:  Introduction to Special Relativity
    1. Java demo of Michelson-Morley experiment
  2. Lecture 16:  Special Relativity, Spacetime
    1. Special Relativity
  1.  Lecture 17:  Energy/Mass Equivalence
    1. Special Relativity
  2.  Lecture 18:  Exam 2 Review
    1. Electrostatic squirrel cage
    2. Helmholz coil compass
    3. Coil and light bulb in liquid nitrogen
    4. Big bang
    5. Bar magnet and compass
    6. Ripple tank on overhead
    7. Superconductor and small magnet
    8. Interference, Moire patterns on overhead
    9. Superposition of waves
  3.  Lecture 19:  Introduction to General Relativity
    1. General Relativity
    2. Black hole at center of Milky way
  4.  Lecture 20:  Cosmology.   Are We Alone?
  5.  Lecture 21:  Quantum Mechanics. Particles and Waves.
    1. Glancing Collisions
    2. Torsion wave machine
    3. Christmas Tree
    4. Scattering Model
  6.  Lecture 22:  Uncertainty.  Atomic Physics.
    1. Ripple tank on overhead
      1. Purpose:  To show wave diffraction..
    1. Electron diffraction tube
    1. Atomic orbital models
  7.  Lecture 23:  The Nucleus.
    1. Model of atom
    1. Geiger counter
    1. Nucleus model
    2. Estimate your radiation dose
  8.  Lecture 24:  Fission and Fusion.
    1. Chain reaction
    1. Radioactive decay shown on Web site "Java Applets on Physics".
    2. Emulate fusion in the sun.
    3. Fission processes.
  9.  Lecture 25:  Elementary Particles
    1. Cloud chamber
    1. EM Tube
  10. Lecture 26:  Course Summary, Final Exam Review
    1. Scattering Model
    2. Nucleus model
    3. General Relativity
    4. Sun, Earth, and Moon Rotations
    5. Bowling ball on wire from ceiling
    6. Van de Graaf Generator
    7. Green and red lasers through diffraction grating

Last modified: November  24, 2004
Kevin Pitts