Halloween-themed Physics Fun!

You can watch some physics demos that aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

Guest Kerry Washington of Scandal assisted Jimmy and "Science Bob" Pflugfelder. 

Skip to 26:00 on the show, and you will see the first science demo. They show the "Greek Waiter's tray" demo, using centripetal force so that the fluid does not spill from the cup, even while spinning upside down. This is similar to my SpillNot video. 

Later in the show, they scale up the trick using a hammock and a picnic (you'll just have to watch it). 

And finally, for the grand finale...they use a blue laser to carve and light a pumpkin!

If you want some Halloween-themed physics and chemistry learning fun, then I think you'll enjoy watching the video. 

Air is Matter Video

Do your students ever have trouble understanding the idea that air is matter? 

This video should help in only 90 seconds!

Check out this video I made called "Swimming in an Ocean of Air" which explains why air is matter. 




You will see a demo where I have evacuated the air from a vacuum chamber.  The chamber is on a scale, and when I let the air back in, you can see how much the air in the chamber weighs. 

By the end, I should convince you that air is matter. It is a physical substance that takes up space and indeed, has mass. 

And on top of all that, using physics, I answer the philosophical question: 

Is the glass half empty or half full? 

Notable Women of Science

This article is interesting, about "10 Women in Science You Should Know But Probably Don't"...

Even with all of the history of science that I read, I have not heard of all of these scientists. 

Astronomer Maria Mitchell is mentioned in the article.

This article reminded me, soon I will post a book review for a fascinating text about women in science called Pythagoras' Trousers: God, Physics, and the Gender War.  

Spin a CD for the Color Spectrum

One of the first demos I ever performed during my student teaching days involved spinning a CD. 

Here is what you do:

Take a CD--color the top three different colors. Red, blue, and green. 

Make sure each color is allotted equal space on the top of the CD.

Place the CD in a CD player, one that has a clear window on the top. Or you can leave the lid open while the CD spins.

Once the CD is spinning, the colors will no longer appear distinctly on the CD top. 

Guess what color it will be? Exactly, you are right...WHITE. 

This demo is a quick and easy way to give a strong visual representation about the color spectrum. 

You have probably seen three lights projected onto a screen, red, blue, green, and where they overlap, you see white. This demo communicates the same idea.

If you are teaching about color and light, give this demo a spin!

Troubleshooting advice: if the color looks bluish or pinkish instead of white, adjust the ratio of colors until the CD spins white.

eHow Short Science Videos

Did you know that I created 14 science videos for eHow.com?

These videos are not just about physics--they were made in response to common questions people have about science. They are created for the layperson.

Topics range from anatomy of a proton (above) to science fair projects for middle school students to one of my favorites, Physics Experiments You Can Do At Home. 

The videos are short and sweet, about 90 seconds to two minutes long. 

Hope you like them!

Today's Video: In Hot Water

Is boiling water always hot? The answer is "No!"

Today I am filming a video about boiling water. 

What will you need for this experiment? A small syringe, like the one below, often used for baby medicine. You can find this at your local pharmacy.

The idea behind this demo is the Ideal Gas Law. 

  
In this demo, you will cap the the syringe with your thumb and then pull on it. This decreases the air pressure inside. Increasing the volume decreases the pressure according to the Ideal Gas Law: pV=nRT  

This occurs because water will boil easier at a lower pressure. 

To perform the demo:

1.  you will first heat water to 4o degrees Celsius, when it is warm to the touch, not hot, not boiling yet. 
2. Then you will put the water in the syringe. 
3. Make sure that there are no air bubbles by flicking it.
4. The water should just barely start leaking out of the top as you cap the syringe with your thumb and put your fingers on the bottom.  
5. Pulling on the syringe causes bubbles to form.This is because the water is boiling. The decreased pressure is boiling the water.

One advantage of this exercise t is that the syringes are fairly cheap, and you can buy six or more, so students in the class can take turns boiling water and learning about volume and pressure. What a hands-on way to gain understanding of the Ideal Gas Law!

For a more detailed and visual explanation, you will just have to watch my video. Anticipation! 

The video will also include tips for how to perform this demo using oil, as well as how to perform this demo on a larger scale using a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump.

 In each of my videos, I include advice about how to perform the demo or experiment, especially for those of you trying the experiments for the first time. However, I always advise running the experiment on your own first before performing it for your class. 

Take a Trip to Tycho Brahe's Isle of Hven

Brahe, always looking up

What if the King of Denmark gave you your very own island to conduct your scientific experiments? In the 1570s, astronomer Tycho Brahe was gifted the Isle of Hven and there he built a castle and an underground observatory, Stjerneborg. Today, just a short ferry ride away from Copenhagen, you can visit Hven (pronounced like "vein"), which is now a part of Sweden. 

Take the ferry from near picturesque Nyhavn, and less than an hour later, you will be walking up a hill toward the green fields of Hven. Ferries from Copenhagen run only in the summer, while ferries from Sweden run all year round.  

Near the ferry dock, try some excellent ice cream to fuel your journey. The Tycho Brahe museum is within walking distance, or pause on your way up the hill and you will find a bike rental area. Be sure to bring cash in the form of Danish kroner or Swedish krona.

In my opinion, walking is best. Along the way, you will find markers of the planets. They are spaced out to correspond with the space between the planets in outer space, and children will enjoy spotting these informative plaques along the route. 

A Tycho statue by an art gallery--me with my nephew Benjamin

I made the trip with my brother and his family, including eight and ten year old niece and nephew.

Green fields dotted with red poppies and quaint cottages abound. Along the way, you can visit art galleries and observe horses and goats grazing in the fields.

Finally, you reach the main attraction, the Tycho Brahe museum. For more information, visit this website: http://www.tychobrahe.com/UK/museet.html .

The museum is located in an old and beautiful church. Inside, informative exhibits and a video about Brahe’s life can easily take up an hour or more. One of my favorite exhibits allows you to turn the pages of an old manuscript using a computer, which details the religious and scientific atmosphere in Brahe’s time. Nearby, well-maintained gardens and a café are a good spot for a break from your tour.

The highlight of the tour is definitely stepping inside the observatory. You can only go inside at the appointed time of the show, but it runs fairly often. The show is not for the claustrophobic, because you are closed into a small space in the underground observatory. However, you are treated to an amazing 3-d display and story of Brahe’s work over time, which takes place all around you in the circular space. 

A friendly tour guide will be there with you to chat in English and answer your questions.  After Brahe tried to run his experiments from his castle, he found that the wind was a detriment to the accuracy of his measurements, and so the observatory was built underground. The observatory is a re-creation of the original, because the ruins were still there, and some of the original instruments are also preserved. You can find out more about the observatory and its renovations here.

Want to find out more? Add the Isle of Hven to your itinerary of cool science-related places to visit!