Science Demonstrations

Short demo: The fan in a vacuum pushes air out, creating a system of low pressure. This in turn creates a system of low pressure within the bag, allowing for an entertaining demonstration of the power of our atmospheric air pressure!

Full demo: A demonstration of the difference between the reactivity of lithium, sodium, and potassium, and further that the activity of main-group metals increases as we go down a column of the periodic table.

Full Demo: How fast can you inflate a balloon inside an "empty" bottle? What mind prevent the balloon from inflating?

Full Demo: Magnesium is one of the alkaline earth metals, a relatively active (reactive) metal, and easily oxidized. FYI: Not all fires can be extinguished with a carbon dioxide fire-extinguisher.

Short Demo: Air pressure is all around us, and it is very powerful!

Full Demo: View the effect of temperature and catalysts on the rate of a chemical reaction.

Teacher Edition: How does a cloud form? Can I make a cloud? A quick look into the conditions needed for cloud formation.

Full Demo: A coin and a small feather are placed inside a closed glass tube. With air in the tube they fall at different rates. When the air is drawn out with a vacuum pump, they fall at the same rate.

Full demo: This demo uses food coloring to help visualize the energy transfer that occurs during convection.

Full Demo: Determine why one set of fluids mixes when the barrier is removed, but the other set of fluids stays separated.

Short Demo: Potassium iodide (KI) catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

Short demo: Packing Peanuts: Polystyrene vs Starch - What's the difference?

Short Demo: Water has many important properties, two of which include adhesion and cohesion.

Short Demo: This demonstration shows the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using a catalyst.

Full Demo: The brass cannon demonstration illustrates the explosive nature of volatile solvents and can be used to introduce discussions of the relationship between heat and work.

Full Demo: Flame tests are used to demonstrate the atomic emission spectra of various ions and to relate discussions of the Bohr atom to phenomena observed in the real world.

Short Demo: Flame tests are used to demonstrate the atomic emission spectra of various ions and to relate discussions of the Bohr atom to phenomena observed in the real world.

Full Demo: Galileo discovered inertia using a track with two sides having different slopes. He found that a ball will roll until it reaches the same height on the other side.

Full Demo: This demonstration shows the conservation of energy by using a pendulum.

Short Demo: To introduce exothermicity as one of the driving forces in nature.

A large glass bulb having nozzles attached to the side is filled partially with water. The entire apparatus is suspended in a low-friction bearing so that it can turn easily. As the water is heated to boiling, steam is ejected from the nozzles whose tips are oriented tangential to the tube?s sides. The reaction force to the ejection of the steam spins the bulb.

Full Video: When a wire mesh inside of the tube is hot, the air closest to the mesh is heated and begins to rise due to convection. As long as the mesh is hot, air will continue to move through the tube like blowing air through a straw. The movement of air creates a standing wave inside of the tube. The wavelength of the standing wave is dictated by the length of the tube

Full demo (sped up): Watch an increase of 59 degrees Fahrenheit in twenty minutes inside of the car on this hot, sunny day!

Short Demo: To introduce exothermicity as one of the driving forces in nature.

Clock reactions can be used to introduce discussions of kinetics, to show the effect of changes in the initial concentration of reactants on the rate of a chemical reaction, to show how monitoring the time required to reach completion of a reaction can be used to follow the rate of reaction, and to get students interested in the question of the rate of chemical reactions.

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Short Demo: Freezing a racquetball in liquid nitrogen and breaking it. 

Full demo: Putting marshmallows in a vacuum chamber and pulling a vacuum to pull the air out of them. 

Short demo: Showing how a pH indicator works in a solution 

Full demo: Showing how darker materials absorb light and light colors reflect. This demo uses balloons and a laser. 

Short Demo showing direct light vers indirect using radiometers and a light.

Full Demo: A toy monkey having a metal plate attached to his head, is suspended from an electromagnet attached to the ceiling. A projectile is fired from a tube and the monkey is released just as the projectile leaves the end of the tube. If the tube is aimed directly at the monkey initially, the two will collide in mid-air.

Short video: Supersaturated Solution of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

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Full Demo: The sound of a Tibetan Singing Bowl is created by the vibration of the metal. The method is similar to that of playing a crystal glass by running a finger along the rim.

Full Demo: Two identical wooden boxes, open at one end, have identical tuning forks attached at the center of the top of the box. When the tuning fork is struck, the sound is amplified by the resonance occurring in the box. When one box is placed such that its opening is a few centimeters from the other?s opening, striking one tuning fork sets up a sympathetic vibration in the other

Short demo: showing how to use cabbage juice as a pH indicator

Short demo: with a shocking start this is a short video of Sarah's hair raising experience with the Van de Graaff

Short demo: showing a trick of pouring water into a glass and turning it over without the water pouring out. 

From trash can to vortex cannon: toroidal vortex

This demonstration illustrates Einstein?s Theory of General Relativity. The apparatus with a diameter of 6 feet is made of a rigid frame with a piece of spandex stretched over it. By using small spheres of different masses and a dense mass you can visually demonstrate how celestial bodies alter the fabric of spacetime. Place a dense mass in the center and then roll the spheres towards or around it. The spheres will be deflected by the bend in the fabric just as Einstein predicted for celestial objects in his theory.

You might know that the Ideal Gas Law tells us that when the pressure goes up the temperature will too. This video consists of two simple demonstrations visualizing this effect.

Short demo: This demo uses an index card with an arrow and a clear container with water. As the arrow is placed behind the water, the arrow seems to reverse direction.

Teacher Edition: This demo uses an index card with an arrow and a clear container with water. As the arrow is placed behind the water, the arrow seems to reverse direction.

Teacher edition: This demonstration is showing the effects of air pressure by lowering the pressure in a small jar and watching the air in the room push the water into the jar to equalize the pressure.

Short Demo: This demonstration is showing the effects of air pressure by lowering the pressure in a small jar and watching the air in the room push the water into the jar to equalize the pressure.

Full demo: You might know that the Ideal Gas Law tells us that when the pressure goes up the temperature will too. This video consists of two simple demonstrations visualizing this effect.

Short demo showing with the increase in pressure the temperature increases. 

Short demo: showing heat burning paper when pressure goes up quickly. 

Full demo: showing how a theremin works

Short demo: of a theremin

Full demo: Understanding torque and direction using a Torque Spool

Short demo: showing torque and direction using a Torque Spool

Full Demo: Similar to spinning a plate this demo shows how something has more stability when under rotation

Short demo: Similar to spinning a plate this demo shows how something has more stability when under rotation

Full Demo: For this demo, Austin spins Sarah on a stool to visualize conservation of energy and angular momentum.

Short Demo: Austin spins Sarah on a stool to visualize conservation of energy and angular momentum.

Short Demo: Austin spins Sarah on a stool to visualize conservation of energy and angular momentum.

Full demo: Center of mass is important with balance. This video shows a couple of balancing demonstrations.

Tutorial: Significant figures are digits that represent actual measurements. There are a number of rules associated with the concept of significant figures, but this demo provides a convenient short-cut to quickly determine sig figs associated with numbers. The box-and-dot method demonstrated in this video is explained in a paper found in the Journal of Chemical Education

Short demo: This demo uses smoke to trace the air moving through a box with 2 cheminies. When a candle is added to the other chimney, the smoke changes to go up with the hot air of the candle

Full demo:Two blocks suspended in the air with a spring between them will have the same force applied against both blocks.

Short demo: Two blocks suspended in the air with a spring between them, demonstrating equal force on both sides 

Short demo: Two blocks with different masses suspended in the air with a spring between them will have the same force applied against both blocks.

Full demo: Heron, the great inventor of Alexandria, described in detail what is thought to be the first working steam engine. A Hero's Engine or an aeolipile, is a bladeless steam engine that rotates. Austin shows us how one works.

Short Demo: Heron, the great inventor of Alexandria, described in detail what is thought to be the first working steam engine. A Hero's Engine or an aeolipile, is a bladeless steam engine that rotates. Austin shows us how one works.

Full demo: The human body is designed to distribute weight evenly across its surface. When a person lies on a bed of nails, the force of their body weight is distributed across many nails, each of which exerts a smaller force on the skin than a single nail would if it were the only one in contact with the body. The pressure is spread out over a larger surface area, which reduces the amount of pressure exerted on each individual nail.

Short Demo: Distribution of a Hammer Blow

Short demo: The human body is designed to distribute weight evenly across its surface. When a person lies on a bed of nails, the force of their body weight is distributed across many nails, each of which exerts a smaller force on the skin than a single nail would if it were the only one in contact with the body. The pressure is spread out over a larger surface area, which reduces the amount of pressure exerted on each individual nail.

Short demo: A demonstration of the difference between the reactivity of lithium, sodium, and potassium, and further that the activity of main-group metals increases as we go down a column of the periodic table.

Teacher Edition: Briggs-Rauscher Oscillating Reaction demonstrates reversible reactions and the concept of equilibrium.

Teacher Edition: Magnesium is one of the alkaline earth metals, a relatively active (reactive) metal, and easily oxidized. FYI: Not all fires can be extinguished with a carbon dioxide fire-extinguisher.

Full Demo: A look at the difference between sound and light waves in a vacuum.

Short Demo: A look at the difference between sound and light waves in a vacuum.

Teacher Edition: View the effect of temperature and catalysts on the rate of a chemical reaction.

Short Demo: A coin and a small feather are placed inside a closed glass tube. With air in the tube they fall at different rates. When the air is drawn out with a vacuum pump, they fall at the same rate.

Short Demo: This demo uses food coloring to help visualize the energy transfer that occurs during convection.

Teacher Edition: Packing Peanuts: Polystyrene vs Starch - What's the difference?

Teacher Edition: This demonstration shows the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using a catalyst.

Short Demo: The brass cannon demonstration illustrates the explosive nature of volatile solvents and can be used to introduce discussions of the relationship between heat and work.

Teacher Edition: Flame tests are used to demonstrate the atomic emission spectra of various ions and to relate discussions of the Bohr atom to phenomena observed in the real world.

Short Demo: Galileo discovered inertia using a track with two sides having different slopes. He found that a ball will roll until it reaches the same height on the other side.

Short Demo: Galileo discovered inertia using a track with two sides having different slopes. He found that a ball will roll until it reaches the same height on the other side.

Short Demo: This demonstration shows the conservation of energy by using a pendulum.

Teacher Edition: To introduce exothermicity as one of the driving forces in nature.

Teacher Edition: To introduce exothermicity as one of the driving forces in nature.

Teacher Edition: A simple combustion reaction (resulting from the burning of an empty tea bag) produces enough hot air to mimic the effect of a hot air balloon.

Short demo: Putting marshmallows in a vacuum chamber and pulling a vacuum to pull the air out of them.

Short Demo: A toy monkey having a metal plate attached to his head, is suspended from an electromagnet attached to the ceiling. A projectile is fired from a tube and the monkey is released just as the projectile leaves the end of the tube. If the tube is aimed directly at the monkey initially, the two will collide in mid-air.

Teacher Edition: How to make a Supersaturated Solution of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

Short demo: The sound of a Tibetan Singing Bowl is created by the vibration of the metal. The method is similar to that of playing a crystal glass by running a finger along the rim.

Short demo: Using tuning forks to show beat frequencies. 

Teacher Edition: explaining how to do the vanishing water trick 

Teacher Edition: The easy way to use Cabbage Juice as a pH Indicator explained.

Short demo: showing Sarah's hair raising through static electricity of the Vandegraaff Generator. 

Short Demo: Gasses of different densities will have different sounds going through a whistle. 

Full Demo: Quantum levitation is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs when a superconductor is cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid nitrogen, allowing it to enter a superconducting state. In this state, the superconductor can conduct electricity with zero resistance and generate a strong magnetic field.

Short demo: Quantum levitation is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs when a superconductor is cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid nitrogen, allowing it to enter a superconducting state. In this state, the superconductor can conduct electricity with zero resistance and generate a strong magnetic field.

Full Demo: This demonstration illustrates the difference between torque and force. The demonstrator grips the aluminum rod in the hands and a weight is placed at increasing distances from the hand along the long rod. As the weight is moved out, it becomes more and more difficult to hold the weight up.This demo has lots of applications to tools, for example, where placement of the force and load is important. Can be related to simple machines (levers).

Short demo: This demonstration illustrates the difference between torque and force. The demonstrator grips the aluminum rod in the hands and a weight is placed at increasing distances from the hand along the long rod. As the weight is moved out, it becomes more and more difficult to hold the weight up.This demo has lots of applications to tools, for example, where placement of the force and load is important. Can be related to simple machines (levers).

Full Demo: A long plank is placed on the lecture table with one end protruding beyond the edge of the table. The instructor (or student) can walk to the end of the plank without the board tipping. A nice illustration of the concept of center of gravity.

Full Demo: This video is part of a virtual Groundwater Contamination Simulation lab.
Check out the lesson https://www.purdue.edu/science... 

Short demo: Classifying Matter unit: If the laser light illuminates the sample in
the beaker (the beaker will appear to glow), the sample can be
classified as a heterogeneous mixture. If the laser light does not
illuminate the sample, it can be classified as a homogeneous solution. Find the full Classifying Matter virtual Lab https://www.purdue.edu/science...

Short Demo: Classifying Matter unit: If the laser light illuminates the sample in
the beaker (the beaker will appear to glow), the sample can be
classified as a heterogeneous mixture. If the laser light does not
illuminate the sample, it can be classified as a homogeneous solution.
Find the full Classifying Matter virtual Lab
https://www.purdue.edu/science...

Short demo showing what bubbles forming and freezing by pouring liquid nitrogen in a soap solution. 

Short Demo: VSEPR in a flash

Short demo visualizing the moment of inertia

Full Demo: What is Buoyancy? Demos explained.

Short Demo: What is Buoyancy? Demos explained

Short Demo: What is Buoyancy? Demo using Bricks in a tub of water

Short Demo: What is Buoyancy? Displacement Demo

Full demo: Visualizing Magnetic Fields with a Cathode Ray Tube

Short demo: Visualizing Magnetic Fields with a Cathode Ray Tube

Short Video: The iodine clock reaction starts as two colorless solutions and after mixing, the solution turns a dark blue. A fun way to investigate the rate at which a reaction takes place.

Full Demo: Creating Fire by Reflecting Heat

Short Demo: Creating Fire by Reflecting Heat

Full Demo: How Thompson helped prove Electrons are a fundamental particle

Full demo: Direction of a magnetic field around a coil

Full Demo: Thermal Expansion Demos

Know your lab equipment: Bunsen burner and Meker burner

Full Demo: Description: Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that reverses direction in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction.

Short:  Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that reverses direction in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction.

Full demo: The gyroscope provides an interesting and fascinating demonstration of
the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum. Gyroscopes can be used to
demonstrate stability, precession and nutations

Short: Gyroscope in motion

• Full Demo: The atom models are brightly colored spheres which are connected by springs. By mounting the model atoms on a brass rod, you can easily demonstrate the inverse relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure.

Short: 

• The atom models are brightly colored spheres which are connected by springs. By mounting the model atoms on a brass rod, you can easily demonstrate the inverse relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure.

Short: The atom models are brightly colored spheres which are connected by springs. By mounting the model atoms on a brass rod, you can easily demonstrate the inverse relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure.

Full Video: Zach Umperovitch demonstrates the '6 simple machines' with one of his Rube Goldberg machines