Physics in a box “Experiments for High Schools” Jitka Houfková, Dana Mandíková Department of Physics Education Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Charles University Prague The box overview Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 1 Mechanics Looking for a centre of mass Playing with a centre of mass Moving a paper with the box Pulling a paper out from underneath the box Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 2 Let the box fall forwards Let the box fall backwards An airscrew Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz A little rocket 3 Exploring the properties of a pendulum Friction and ball bearing Get the cork into the middle of the box without touching it Drinking with a drinking straw Holding water in a straw Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 4 A ship with a soap motor A ship from Play-Doh Chromatography Electrostatics An electrically charged drinking straw is “glued” to the box and to the wall Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 5 Electrically charged drinking straws can attract or repulse each other An electrically charged drinking straw attracts the box and knocks it down without touching it Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 6 An indicator of electric charge Electrostatic shielding by the box Electromagnetism A circuit connected via people – no one has an infinite resistance Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz Graphite is a conductor 7 An electromagnet An electromotor An electromagnetic brake – works with copper, does not work with paper Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 8 A magnet and an aluminium cylinder falling through a copper tube Magnets A compass Torsional oscillations Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz Dana with magnetic powers 9 How a magnet attracts a paper clip through different materials (air, paper, metal) Thermodynamics A burning match with an aluminium collar Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 10 Putting out a candle and lighting it again by a metallic spiral Lighting a candle from a distance Heat transfer in a metallic box Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 11 A bimetallic strip A flying tea bag Thermosensitive Play-Doh Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 12 Acoustics A whistle from a drinking straw A whistle from a preserving lid A guitar Optics A mirror Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 13 Rainbow reflections on a piece of CD Looking through polarisation filters at a string and at a pattern from adhesive tape A projection of a candle flame through a tiny hole Looking through different optical grids A magnifying glass Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz A telescope 14 A strange monster A dog A cat Optical illusion – make the sun smile Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 15 Nuclear Physics Modelling of the radioactive decay – the number of nuclei in a sample of a radioactive element (lentils) as a function of time (tossin the lentils) Quantum Mechanics The non-commutativity of operators “pour water into” the box and “close the lid of” the box And much much more can be done ;-) … Physics in a box – jitka.houfkova@gmail.com, dana.mandíkova@mff.cuni.cz 16