The Spring 2005 LHU Physics Club Demo Show
Saturday, 4PM, April 9, 2005
Click on the pictures below to get a larger version.
Head of Ceremonies: Ben Toner
Student Presenters:
Joe Ballard
Kelly Greenland (Secretary/Treasurer),
Chris Johns,,
Ian LaRose (President),
(President),
Faculty: Mike Cullin, John Reid, Jim Wheeler
Special Thanks To: Taneisha Greer (Vice President), Stephanie Madison, Jon Thornburg
Nicole Lavallee - for doing the programs and
List of Demos
| Topic | Demo | Presenter |
|---|
| Electricity & Magnetism | Van de Graaff | Ian |
|---|
| | Induction | Chris |
|---|
| | | Jim |
|---|
| | microwaves | John |
|---|
| | Light Scattering | Kelly |
|---|
| Optics | Polarization | Kelly |
|---|
| | Refraction | Mike |
|---|
| | Image Formation | Jim |
|---|
| | Lens Systems | Joe |
|---|
| | Diffraction | John |
|---|
| | Bubbles | Jim |
|---|
Van de Graaff
Ian does several demos with the Van de Graaff. He makes the funny hats of the Physics Club members
stand on end. With help from kids in the audience, he shows how electric charge can be stored in objects.
He make a light light without batteries!
Induction
Chris demonstrates the principle of induction using a large electromaget. He shows jumping rings,
lights that work without batteies, slowly falling objects, sparks and more...
Microwave
John talks about how microwaves are just a form of electromagnetic waves. He then explains and shows what
happens when a CD is placed in a microwave oven. This is not something to try at home.
Light Scattering
Kelly shines light through two beakers of water. As she adds cream to one beaker, blue light is scattered leaving
a reddish color on the screen, thus simulating sunlight scattering in the atmosphere producing the blue sky and
reddish sunsets.
Polarization
Kelly shows us all kinds of colors that are revealed through the phenomenon of light polarization.
Before the show she had kids place tape on a piece of plastic. During the show she places the tape between
two polarizers and all kinds of colors show up.
Refraction
Mike, with help from his sons, show everyone how light slows down when entering water. He shines
a laser into a aquarium and we can see the beam bending as it enters.
Lens Systems
Joe demonstrates Lasers and lights up the room. First he shows how lenses can be used to focus
a laser beam to a point and then expand it to a wide beam. He lights up the room using a fog maching so that
we can see the laser beam.
Next he shines light back and forth between mirrors and again lights it all up with the fog maching, so that we can see the beams.
Image Formation
Jim shows everyone how images of object can be formed on a screen using glass lenses, flat fresnel lenses
and even with no lens at all by using just a small hole.
Diffraction
John talks about diffraction - how light bends around things. The Club then hands out "rainbow glasses",
and everyone gets to see all kinds of colors when the main lights go off and a string of small light is carried over
the audience.
Thin Filim Interference
Jim shows how light does colorful things when passing through a soap film
After the Show.
All kinds of fun occur after the show. Jim makes some huge bubbles outside for everyone.
Inside several kids get to try out the Van de Graaff.
