Electrostatic ping pong
When a ping pong ball covered in a magnetic surface is placed between aluminum cans and an ion source is turned on, the ball reacts, demonstrating the effects of electrostatics.
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Wimhurst Generator
The Wimshurst generator is a machine used to demonstrated static electricity. Two oppositely rotating disks spin against brushes, causing an excess charge on the metal sectors located on the disks. Collecting combs send the excess charges to two Leyden jars. One electrode is connected to each Leyden jar and once the potential difference between them […]
Archimedes Principle
Archimedes Principle states that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid that displaces. Given two cylinders, one filled with oil and the other with water, and a bowling ball on a pulley in each of them, we can observe that […]
Balloon Paradox
In this experiment, we allow a balloon filled with air to drop from the top of a transparent box while a balloon filled with helium floats up from the bottom. When the system is moved horizontally, both balloons are expected to drift towards the rear of the box, but instead the helium balloon drift towards […]
Cloud in a bottle
By attaching a bicycle pump to a bottle filled with a small amount of water, closing it tightly, and pumping air, the molecules in the bottle are forced to squeeze together. The pressure builds up in the bottle, and when the cap is opened, the air rapidly expands. When air expands, it gets cooler, and […]
Curie Magnet
The idea of the Curie magnet demo is to show that all magnets have a specific temperature, above which they loose all their magnetism. This process can be reversed by lowering the temperature below this Curie point and causing magnetism to return to the system.
Curie Temperature Demo
The Curie temperature (Tc) is the critical temperature beyond which a previously ferromagnetic material becomes paramagnetic. Below the Curie temperature the magnetic moments, even a weak external field results in a net magnetization. As the temperature increases to Tc and above, that magnetization no longer holds. This effect is demonstrated by employing a nickel wire […]
Human sundial
Human sundials allow us to tell time based on the length of our shadow. A person’s shadow will change length and position due to the changing position of the sun as the Earth rotates.
Hit the target
Using a target and a launcher, we explore some principles of motion. In some cases the target is allowed to fall as the ball is being launched, showing that the launched ball and the target fall at the same rate. In other cases the target is held stationary, forcing the gun to adjust it’s position […]
Hand crank cyclotron
A model of a cyclotron is shown using Ping-Pong balls in a glass bowl being propelled around thanks to the repulsive forces of static electricity.
Kelvin’s Water Dropper
Kelvin’s Water Dropper is a form of electrostatic generator. Water from a single source is divided into two separate streams which fall into two separate metal buckets. Each stream passes through a ring which is connected by a wire to the opposite side’s bucket, with no contact between the buckets, wires, or rings. When rods […]
Solar powered cars
In this demo, visitors will shine a high-powered flashlight at a solar powered car placed on a track. With two or more vehicles, visitors can race the cars around the track… the one who hits their car most directly with the flashlight, thereby imparting the most energy, will win the race! This teaches visitors about […]
Plasma Light Demo
The fluorescent light is an everyday example of how we use plasma. The tube is filled with argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes in the light fixture, current is drawn across the gas and produces an argon/mercury plasma.
Plasma Speaker
A plasma speaker is a device which uses a controlled electrical arc (plasma) to play music. The sound generated comes from the vibration of the air molecules around the plasma arc.
Laser Sound Transmission
Laser data transmission is demonstrated through open air by modulating the laser intensity. Through the use of a laser we make it physically possible for people to see the transmission of the signal that we don’t normally see.
Lens of Doom
In this demo, we show the true power of a light collecting area using one of largest commercially accessible lenses: a big screen TV Fresnel lens. This demonstration shows how the large light-collecting area of a Fresnel lens can produce an intense magnification at the point where the light converges, the focal point.
Magnetic Viewers
Magnetic Viewers are thin sheets of translucent material that are covered with micro sized capsules containing flakes of magnetic material suspended in oil. When brought into a magnetic field the small magnetic flakes will align parallel or perpendicular to the sheet, causing the material to appear bright or dark respectively allowing one to “view” the […]
Magnetostriction
Some magnetic materials actually change their shape or size when magnetized. Dimensions of a rod of Terfenol-D are measured and compared before and after being magnetized with a strong magnetic field.