Download Experiments and Demonstrations

Physics Experimental and Practical Activities
Practical Activity
Thermal Physics
Using a Thermistor
'Metho' on wrist
Electric fan and a wet
thermometer
Thermal conductivity
Description
Measure a property that changes
with temp
Observe cooling due to
evaporation
Observe cooling due to
evaporation
Observe different rates of heat
flow
Bimetallic strip
Observe different rates of linear
expansion
Newton's law of cooling Observe the rate of change of
temperature
Thermal conductivity of Compare conductivities of ice that
ice and water
is not wet and partially melted ice
Body as thermometer
Can hands measure temperature
Radiometer
Thermoelectricity
Practical Activity
Electricity Unit 1
Voltage Drops around a
circuit
Ohmic Resistors
Observe effect of infra red
radiation
Observe conversion from
electricity to temp diff and vice
versa
Equipment
Thermistor, multimeter
Metho, cotton wool
Electric fan, 2 thermometers,
beaker of water, stand with two
bossheads
Star of four metals with waxed
ends, bunsen burner, tripod, mat,
stop watch
Bimetallic strip, bunsen burner, mat
Beaker of hot water, thermometer,
stand, bosshead, stop watch or temp
probe with datalogger.
Thermos of ice
Bowls of hot water, cold water and
water at room temp
Radiometer, infra red source
Thermoelectric device, two
beakers, hot and cold water, two
thermometers, multimeter, DC
power source
Description
Done as self paced exercise
Equipment
as above
Box of components, wires and
meters
as above
Series and Parallel
Circuits
Light Globe Resistance
as above
as above
as above
as above
LDR
as above
as above
Thermistor
as above
as above
Voltage Dividers
as above
as above
Diodes
as above
as above
Household Electricity
as above
Board
Practical Activity
Description
Equipment
Motion Unit 2
Forces in balance
Add force vectors together using
components and vector addition
Newton's 2nd Law
Vary angle to show effect of force
component
Investigate relationship:
net F = ma
Newton's 2nd Law
Conservation of
momentum
Conservation of
momentum
Forms of energy and
energy transfer
Forces and energy in a
bouncing ball
Forces and energy in a
bouncing ball
Practical Activity
Investigate momentum before and
after collision for variety of
collisions
Pull one or more balls aside and
release.
Round robin of short activities
Display velocity and acceleration
time graphs for a bouncing ball
From drop height, rebound height
and impact time, determine energy
loss, efficiency, change in
momentum on impact and impact
force
Force table. Board with stand and
slotted weights with strings to a
centre
Newton's cart
Air track, glider, pulley system,
masses, ticker tape, photogates or
datalogger
Air track, 2 gliders, masses,
photogates or datalogger
Newton's cradle
Energy kits
basketball, ultrasound, Tain and
computer
basketball, electronic timer, alfoil,
wires and ruler
Description
Equipment
Investigate energy conversion
between GPE, KE and Elastic PE
Investigate momentum and energy
conservation in s range of
collisions including sticky,
explosive and elastic
Investigate T vs net force for fixed
R and T vs R for fixed net force
Stand with bosshead and clamp,
spring with a set of masses, a ruler
Air track, gliders and photogates for
datalogger
Description
Equipment
Use current balance kit to
determine magnetic field of a
solenoid
Investigate meter mechanism with
small compass
Dissect a small DC motor then
reassemble
Investigate Lenz' Law
1 Current balance kit, 1 Solenoid, 2
Ammeters, 2 rheostats, 2 power
packs
Demonstration Meter
Motion Unit 3
Hooke's Law: Energy
change
Collisions
Circular Motion
Practical Activity
Centripetal acceleration kit
Electromagnetism
Magnetic field of
Solenoid
Turning Effect in a
meter
Dissection of DC Meter
Electromagnetic
Induction
DC Motor
1 Induction apparatus, 1 Bar
magnet, 1 Galvanometer or CRO
Practical Activity
Unit 4 Waves & Light
Transverse and
Longitudinal Waves
Standing waves
Interference
Description
Equipment
Apparent Depth
show properties of waves on a
slinky
Reflection and superposition
Twirl tuning fork at the ear and
notice variation in intensity due to
cancellation at corners of tuning
fork
Nodal line in front of two speakers
when out of phase
Oscillate the timber vertically,
setting standing waves of different
modes
Observe bending of light through
glass block
Measure apparent depth
Rainbow
Observe order of colours
Glass block on small edge, two
pieces of graph paper
Prism, light box
Polarisation
Rotate one filter over the other
Polaroid filters
Diffraction through a
Single Slit
Interference of light
through a Double Slit
Observe diffraction of blue and red
through slits of different width
Observe interference of blue and
red through double slits of
different width and different
spacing
Diffraction box
Practical Activity
Light and matter
Photoelectric Effect
Description
Equipment
Perform PE Effect experiment
PE Effect apparatus
Light Sources and
Spectra
Planck's Constant and
LEDs
Observe spectral lines for different
elements
Determine Planck's constant with
different coloured LEDs
Spectral lamps, power source,
spectroscopes
LEDs, power supply and meters
Interference
Standing wave
(transverse)
Refraction of light
Slinky
Slinky
One tuning fork per student
Two speakers, one out of phase to
the other
Long flexible strip of timber
Glass block, four pins, pin board
Diffraction box
Practical Activity
Physics Demonstrations: Electromagnetism
Description
Equipment
Properties of magnets
Investigate Force between
magnets and magnetic field of
bar and horseshoe magnets
2 bar magnets, 1 horseshoe magnet,
10 see-through magnetic
compasses, 1 Iron filings in fluid
Oersted's Experiment
Show magnetic effect of an
Oersted apparatus, Power pack
electric current in magnetic field
Left Hand Rule
Show magnetic force on current
loop
Bar magnet, Power pack or battery,
Copper wire (U shaped) in clamp
Left Hand Rule
Show movement of Al rod on
rails with horseshoe magnet
Magnetic Force kit
Left Hand Rule
Show slow oscillation of
loudspeaker cone
Signal Generator, Loudspeaker
(large)
Deflection of moving
charge
Deflect electron beam in CRO
with a magnet
CRO, Bar magnet
Deflection of moving
charge
Deflect electron beam in
evacuated chamber
Ruhmkoff coil, Evacuated
chamber, Bar magnet
Model DC Motor
Show motor principle with
models
DC Motor model
Electromagnetic
Induction
Show generation of induced
EMF by magnet in solenoid
Solenoid, Bar magnet, CRO
Model Generator
Electromagnetic
Induction
Show components
Drop strong magnet thru Al
cylinder
Model generator
1 Eddy current apparatus
Transformer
Show effect of Turns ratio on
voltage / current
Demountable transformer
Transmission Lines
Show the effect of transformers
on Power loss and voltage drop
T'n Lines model