Physics Demo Manual

Demonstrations are cataloged according to PIRA Bibliography

PLEASE REQUEST DEMOS WELL IN ADVANCE

Due to Physics Building renovations, the lead time to set up demo requests has increased due to the need to transport equipment across campus. Please be kind and let me know well ahead of time what you need.

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Mechanics
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Electrostatics
Electric Fields And Potential
Capacitance
Current and Resistance
Electromotive Force And Current: Visual Electricity Demonstrator and Generator; Electrolysis of Water; Electroplating; Internal Resistance of Batteries; Fuel Cell; Thermoelectric Generator; Thermoelectric Magnet; Piezoelectricity
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Internal Resistance of Batteries

Purpose:

To show students that batteries have an internal resistance which can be found experimentally

Procedure:

Connect a potentiometer to the leads of a battery and meter the voltage across the battery and the current in the circuit. Make a plot of the voltage vs current. Since V = EMF - I R where R is the internal resistance of the battery, calculating the slope of the curve will give the negative of the internal resistance.