PIRA Code(s): 1C20.10
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: Tip the tube with penny and feather upside down. The penny will fall faster than the feather. Then, use the pump to evacuate all of the air. Like before, turn the tube upside down and the two objects will fall at the same rate.
Physics and Science Concepts: Uniform Acceleration, Mechanics, Gravity
Safety: Do not crack tube.
Must check out demonstration 3B30.30 to obtain and use pump.

PIRA Code(s): 1D15.45
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: Place balls of equal mass and size at the top of the tracks, one at the cycloid, one at the parabola, and one at the straight track. Let the balls roll down, the cycloid ball will arrive first. Then, place two balls on the cycloid track, one at the top and one a little ways down. The two balls will reach the end at the same time.
Physics and Science Concepts: Motion in Two Dimensions
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 1D60.10
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: Press down on the inside of the cup. Turn the cart over, and stick the pin in the hole that protrudes from the bottom of the cart. Place the ball inside the cup. Then, push the car at a constant velocity as you gently pull the string. The ball should pop up and land in the cup again.
Physics and Science Concepts: Mechanics, Motion in Two Dimensions, Projectile Motion
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 1G20.45
Set up time:2 minutes
Operation: Hold a slinky in your hand high enough so that when it falls it will not touch the floor. Still holding the top of the slinky, let the rest drop down towards the ground.
Physics and Science Concepts: Newton’s Second Law
Safety: Ends of slinky may be sharp or become tangled

PIRA Code(s): 1L20.40
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Remove pieces from the cone to show different conic sections.
Physics and Science Concepts: Gravity
Safety: Nails that connect pieces may be sharp.

PIRA Code(s): 1M20.10
Set up time:none
Operation: These may be used by themselves or with other demonstrations.
Physics and Science Concepts: Mechanics, Mechanical Advantage, Simple Machines
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 1M40.10
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Hook the bowling ball onto the chain. Pull the bowling ball back until it reaches your nose. Release the ball and do not move. Let the ball come back and show how it will not reach your nose again. *For use in lecture room 131.
Physics and Science Concepts: Mechanics, Work and Energy
Safety: Do not give the ball an initial velocity or move forward once the ball is release. Warning: it’s hard not to flinch.

PIRA Code(s): 1N30.10
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: Pull back a number of balls and let them collide with the other balls, allowing the same number of balls to be released on the other side.
Physics and Science Concepts: Conservation of linear momentum
Safety: Align the balls for the best results. Do not allow the strings to tangle.

PIRA Code(s): 1Q40.40
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Place the train on the track. Plug the track into the variac and start the train by moving the dial.
Physics and Science Concepts: Mechanics, Angular Momentum, Rotational Dynamics, Angular Momentum, Relative Motion
Safety: Watch for sparks from the train. Maintain a cautious distance from the wheel.

PIRA Code(s): 1Q50.60
Set up time:2 minutes
Operation: Use the string or turn the rotor with your thumb to start the gyroscope spinning. Take care to hold the gyroscope and metal hold in place relative to the top block of wood. Then, spin the wooden block, stop it, and reverse the direction of the spin. The gyroscope will do a spin flip.
Physics and Science Concepts: Rotational dynamics, Mechanics
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 3A10.40
Set up time:none
Operation: Push the pendulum so that it swings back and forth at an angle of about 0 º. Then, slowly increase the angle, and watch the frequency decrease. For a more effective demonstration, start the pendulum at a relatively high angle, and then decrease the angle of the plane of oscillation so that the frequency of the pendulum will increase over time.
Physics and Science Concepts: Oscillations
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 4A30.10
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: Use a Bunsen burner to heat a bimetal strip and it will bend
Physics and Science Concepts: Thermodynamics, Thermal Properties of Matter, Thermal Expansion
Safety: Use caution when dealing with the Bunsen burner. Bunsen burner not included.

PIRA Code(s): 4E30.10
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Fill sphere with water and submerge in buckets of water or liquid nitrogen at different temperatures. Dewar of liquid nitrogen and bucket can be obtained in the physics machine shop.
Physics and Science Concepts: Gas Laws, Thermodynamics
Safety: Always wear protective clothing when handling liquid nitrogen.

PIRA Code(s): 5A50.10
Set up time:2 minutes
Operation: Place the four (two large, two small) balls on the poles in the front about 1 inch apart. Turn the crank.
Physics and Science Concepts: Electrostatics
Safety: Do not touch any metal portions of the generator

PIRA Code(s): 5C30.40
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Jars can be charged with either the Wimshurst generator (5A50.10) or Van de Graaf generator (5A50.30). Charge Leyden jars in parallel and discharge, charge in parallel again and connect in series before discharging. The intensity of the sparks as well as their duration is much greater for the series connection.
Physics and Science Concepts: Electricity and Magnetism, Capacitance
Safety: Do not touch the charged capacitor. Make sure the jar is discharged before storing or touching.

PIRA Code(s): 5H30.10
Set up time:2 minutes
Operation: Plug in the cathode ray tube. Deflect the beam of the CRT by holding a permanent magnet near the edge of the tube. If the beam disappears, you are holding the magnet too close. Also, you can deflect the beam by attaching a battery to the binding posts and adjusting the variable control knob.
Physics and Science Concepts: Magnetic Fields and Forces
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 5K20.10
Set up time:5 minutes
Operation: Set up the pole with the right angle clamp and pendulum. Place the permanent magnet so that the copper sheet is in between the two magnet sides. Swing the full copper sheet swing through the magnet. Watch as it damps out quickly. The, flip the pendulum so that the copper comb side is swinging through the magnet. Watch how it swings as if the magnet is not even there.
Physics and Science Concepts: Electromagnetic Induction, Eddy Currents
Safety: Stand to the side of the pendulum as it swings, not directly in the path.

PIRA Code(s): 6A20.45
Set up time:none
Operation: Use the different types of mirrors to compare reflection.
Physics and Science Concepts: Geometrical Optics, Reflection
Safety: Do not shine bright light into mirror.

PIRA Code(s): 6D20.10
Set up time:none
Operation: For best results, observe the sun, moon, or fluorescent lights through the films.
Physics and Science Concepts: Optics, Light Spectrum
Safety: Keep fingerprints off film.

PIRA Code(s): 8A10.10
Set up time:none
Operation: Plug in the model. Flip the right switch to have the planets move and the left switch to turn the light bulb on which represents the earth.
Physics and Science Concepts: Planetary Astronomy, Solar System
Safety: Do not touch the light bulb, it may get hot.

PIRA Code(s): 6D30.10
Set up time:none
Operation: Shine light through the rings so that they are reflected onto a wall. An overhead is good for this. Turn the screws on the frame to change the interference pattern.
Physics and Science Concepts: Interference
Safety: Over head projector may be obtained from demo 9A36.10.

PIRA Code(s): 9A34.60
Set up time:1 minute
Operation: This camera can be used with other experiments.
Physics and Science Concepts: Recording
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 9A36.10
Set up time:none
Operation: Use the overhead projector with other PIRA demonstrations.
Physics and Science Concepts: Equipment
Safety: None

PIRA Code(s): 1Q30.60
Set up time:10 minutes
Operation: Spin the frame and watch the two balls move outwards. For the plexiglass demo, squirt green liquid (or pour) into the frame so that the liquid is at least an inch deep. Then, plug in the cord.
Physics and Science Concepts: Centrifugal force
Safety: Make sure objects and people are well clear of the spinning frame. Wear safety goggles during operation.