Fun with Physics

The goal of this exhibit is to make physics concepts approachable to the general public by showcasing some cool phenomena as well as explain the physics they experience in their day-to-day lives. Most of the demonstrations being run as part of this exhibit will be hands-on, such as using a harmonograph to create drawings visitors can take home with them, exploring how connecting pendulums with a spring or even a simple piece of string can change their motion, and feeling the effect of changing their moment of inertia on a spinning chair. Physics majors volunteering at the exhibit will also show off the strength of pressure changes by heating up water in an aluminum can before submerging the can in cold water and the variety of almost magical things one can do with liquid nitrogen - from shrinking balloons to changing the color of LEDs, low temperatures create many interesting effects! Visitors will also have a chance to identify elements based on the colors of light they emit and potentially win a small prize if they can do so correctly.