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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Measurement
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Momentum: Egg in a Sheet; Reaction Cars; video - Ballistics on Air Track; Ballistic Pendulum; Fire Extinguisher Rocket Cart; Water Rocket; Rocket Tricycle; Methanol Rocket (Explode a Milk Jug); Match Rocket; video - 2-Liter Bottle Rocket; video - Hovercraft; video - Air Track Collisions; video - Newton's Cradle Collisions; video - Battering Ram Collisions; Gauss Gun - Elastic and Inelastic Collisions; video - Double Ball Bounce; video - Air Table Collisions
Rotational Motion
Properties of Matter

video - Battering Ram Collisions

Purpose:

An entertaining way of demonstrating the properties of elastic and inelastic collisions.

Procedure:

DEMO VIDEO DOWNLOAD w/ sound

A wooden block has materials with different restitution coefficients attached to different sides. A metal rod can be rammed into the block from the same hight. Only collisions with high restitution sides will topple the block over - these are elastic collisions with the plain wood surface or the light pink Silly Putty surface. While collisions with low restitution sides will not fall over - these are inelastic collisions with the soft black Plastelina modeling clay surface.