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Physics Lecture Demonstration 

MECHANICS

(1A) Measurements

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Last Page Update: 07/28/03

 
1A-Measurement
10. Basic Units
20. Error and Accuracy
30. Coordinate Systems 
40. Vectors
50. Math Topics
60. Scaling
Color Code Key:
  • All "Black" Listings are demos currently available.
  • All "Blue" Listings are new demos that are available.
  • All "Red" Listings are new demos that arn't available.
  • All "Green" Listings are broken or out of order.

1A10 - Basic Units

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A10.10 Basic Unit Set Show a clock with a second sweep, meter and yard sticks, and kilogram and pound mass.
1A10.20 Standard Masses Show students a 1 lb mass and a 1 kg mass.
1A10.21 Standard Mass Set Show a sets of calibrated weights.
1A10.30 Standard Meter Put out a Standard Meter.
1A10.31 Precision Gauge Blocks, Hoke Show a sets of calibrated Hoke measuring blocks that are precision gauged for measuring thickness.
1A10.36 1 "nsec" Cut a length of meter stick to equal the distance light travels in one nsec. (0.29 m)
1A10.40 Clocks Set out a timer with a one second sweep, an hour glass, a metronome, etc.
1A10.45a WWV Signal, Phone Put out a phone and call WWV  to listen to the signal.
1A10.45b WWV Signal, Web Punch-up http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/stations/wwv.html
1A10.48 Orrery Get the Orrery from Astronomy to show sidereal time.
1A10.49 Sidereal Time Two clocks on permanent display show Greenwich and Sidereal time.
1A10.50 One Liter Cube Put out a one liter wood cube that has cm square rules on one face.
1A10.55 Mass, Volume, and Density Compare wood and aluminum cubes, each with 10 cm sides, (equal volume). Compare a 10 cm aluminum cube with a 10 cm sq x 4 cm lead block (equal mass). Compare a is cm aluminum cube with a 10 cm sq x 4 cm aluminum block (equal density).
1A10.60a Avogadro's Number Box A cube with sides of 28.2 cm has a volume of 22.4 l at STP.
1A10.60b Avogadro's Number Box A 22.4 liter box to represent the volume of one mole at STP.
1A10.65 Mole Samples Show mole samples of carbon, iron, copper, zinc, etc.
1A10.70 Density Samples One kg samples of lead, aluminum, water, wood each have 5 cm square bases. 
A one meter frame shows the size of approximately 1 kg of air.
1A10.90 Misc. Epuipment Balances, Spring Scales, Pendulums, and weights

1A20 - Error and Accuracy

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A20.10 Gaussian Collision Board Balls roll down a nail board into parallel chutes forming a probability curve similar to the distribution of molecular velocities.
1A20.10a Gaussian curve: Probability Board 1000's of  small ball bearings are funneled down through an array of posts to form the Gaussian Curve. (Must be retrieved from the Physics Exporitorium.)
1A20.20 Coin Flip Flip coin to show 50/50 probability
1A20.25 2 6-Sided Dice Use them to show that the probability is over 7
1A20.31 Contact Time Measurement Measure contact time of two hammers being struck together. A pulse generator is gated to a pulse counter while the hammers are in contact. Frequency of the pulse generator can be changed to vary accuracy.
1A20.40 Calipers Put out and Demonstration the use of a micrometer, spherometer, and vernier calipers.
1A20.41a Calipers, Vernier Put out and Demonstration the use of a vernier caliper. Use commercial large scale verniers to show how they work.
1A20.41b Calipers, Vernier (Model) Put out and Demonstration the use of caliper by using a large scale wooden vernier caliper to show how calipers work.
1A20.41c Calipers, Spherometer Put out and Demonstration the use of a spherometer calipers.
1A20.41d Calipers, Micrometer Put out and Demonstration the use of a micrometer calipers.
1A20.51 Lead Ping Pong Ball and Foam Chunk Students judge weight of a white lead filled ping pong ball and a chunk of black foam.
1A20.60a Reaction Time Cover 3/4 or more of a stop clock face. Push the stop button when the hand shows. Measure the time.
1A20.60b Reaction Time, Two button Start by pushing and holding the start button. Move you hand over and hit the stop button as fast as you can once the counter starts to count up. Counter is in milliseconds and has a random start-up. 
1A20.60c Reaction Time Use a dollar or a meter stick. Place the center of  the item between someone's fingers, without touching. Have them try to pinch the item when release it.

1A30 - Coordinate Systems

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A30.10 XYZ Axes Aluminum stand that holds 3 arrows. Also shows Unit Vectors.
1A30.15 Non-Orthogonal Frames A model for demonstrating the geometry of vectors in non-orthogonal frames.
1A30.21 Euler's Angles A model that demonstrates the orientation of an arbitrarily oriented set of orthogonal axes with respect to another orthogonal set which is fixed.
1A30.22 Euler's Angles - MITAC gyro model Use the MITAC gyro as a classroom model to help illustrate Euler's angles.
1A30.30 Polar Coordinates Need a demo to go with the xyz axes. Can use 1A30.40.
1A30.35 Radian and Steradian, Models  
1A30.40 Chalkboard Globe Draw coordinates on a 20" plain globe.

1A40 - Vectors

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A40.13 Components of a Vector A Lucite frame for introducing vectors.
1A40.15 Project Components of a Vector A horizontal arrow is shadow projected onto two screens at 90 deg. facing the class.
1A40.20 Force Board A whiteboard to draw the force vectors of a balances object
1A40.25 Tinker Toys Put out a box of tinker toys that includes arrow tips.
1A40.30 Vector Addition  
1A40.35 Vector Subtraction  
1A40.40 Foucault Pendulum  
1A40.50 Vector Displacement An overhead projector device using  two compass needles to show that a vector remains invariant when displaced. Diagram.
  Frames Reference Show 30min B/W Movie "Frames Reference"
  Rotating Reference Frames Show old film loop (converted to DVD or Tape)
  Skylab: Reference Frames Show old film loop (converted to DVD or Tape)

1A50 - Math Topics

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A50.10 Radian Show a flexible strip of plastic or string equal to the radius of a large disc, then bend it around the circumference and mark off the radians.
1A50.30 Sine, Cosine, and Circle Linkage Linkages connect a spot moving around a circle with spots moving orthogonal as the sine and cosine. (Item was converted to show the relation of circular and oscillating motion.)

1A60 -  Scaling

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1A60.10 Powers of Ten "Powers of Ten" is a 13min movie, covering scales from the universe to sub-atomic.
1A60.40 Scaling Cube A large cube made up of 27 smaller ones is painted black on the outside. Knock the stack apart and show the increase in surface area by the preponderance of unpainted surfaces.