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.

Choose a Topic or Enter a keyword to search:

Mechanics
Fluid Mechanics
Oscillations And Waves
Thermodynamics
Electricity And Magnetism
Optics
Modern Physics
Audio-Visual
New or Modified Entries (within the last month)

I cannot find what I want!

You have selected the following Demos:

None Selected

Choose a subtopic:
(Clicking a green button will add that demo to your list)

Measurement
Motion In One Dimension
Motion In Two Dimensions
Newton's First Law
Newton's Second Law
Newton's Third Law
Statics Of Rigid Bodies
Applications Of Newton's Laws
Gravity
Work and Energy
Momentum
Rotational Motion: Rotational Inertia Rods; video - Rolling Objects and Moments of Inertia; video - Moment of Inertia Wheel; video - The Falling Rigid Body; video - Vector Nature of Angular Momentum; Hero's engine; video - Precession of Bicycle Wheel Under Gravity Force; Suitcase Gyro; Air Gyro; Gyrocompass; Gyroscopes; Euler's Disk; Tippe Top
Properties of Matter

video - Precession of Bicycle Wheel Under Gravity Force

Purpose:

To demonstrate gyroscopic precession and give insight into the vector nature of angular momentum.

Procedure:

MTS Format - DEMO VIDEO DOWNLOAD
MTS Format has Better Video Quality
MP4 Format - DEMO VIDEO DOWNLOAD
MP4 Format has Smaller File Size

In each of the lecture halls there is a string which hangs from the ceiling and has a hook attached to its free end. Spin the bicycle wheel up with the buffer wheel and attach the axle of the wheel to the hook on the string. With the axis of the bicycle wheel held horizontal, it is released. The axis remains horizontal while the wheel precesses around a vertical axis.

Equipment:

Bicycle wheel
Buffer wheel