Electric and Magnetic Demonstrations

Electrotatic Demos

Wooden stand for standing on when using the Van de Graaff generator. Rabbit fur, plastic rods, and glass rods for generating/storing charge.

Van de Graff

Useful for several electrostatic demonstrations. Rice crispies or Styrofoam peanuts placed on the dome make a fountain from the electrostatic repulsion. Large sparks can be made with the discharge wand. A florescence light bulb tube can be glow if touched to the dome.

setup time: < 10 minutes

Faraday Ice Pail

Demonstration of electrostatic shielding inside of a conductor.

setup time: < 10 minutes

Ohm's Law

Ohm's law demonstration

setup time: < 5 minutes

Capacitor Discharge

Discharge of a large capacitor. Typically discharged with the large (3 ft) screwdriver. Note: This capacitor stores significant energy and is dangerous. Replace aligator clips and shorting wire between the terminals when finished.

setup time: < 10 minutes

Magnetic Field lines

Iron filings are suspended in a fluid. When a bar magnet is placed in the hole through the center of the cube, the magnetic field lines become visible. There is also a flat version of which works well on an overhead projector. Far left picture illustrates sheets of magnetic material that allow the visualization of field lines.

setup time: < 5 minutes

Magnetic Field lines 2

Sprinkle iron filings on the plexiglass. Run current through the wires and the filings will align with the solenoid's field lines.

setup time: < 5 minutes

Jumping Wire

A large current is briefly passed through the wire which is located between the poles of a strong permanent magnet. The current switch is a telegraph 'tap' switch. The current is supplied by a car battery which needs to be charged before use.

setup time: < 10 minutes

Eddy Currents

An insulator, metal ring and metal ring with an small slit through it are swung through the strong magnetic field of a permanent magnet. Eddy currents in the metal ring noticeably change the motion through the magnetic field

setup time: < 5 minutes

Eddy Currents 2

A strong permanent magnet is dropped through a long copper tube. Eddy currents cause the magnet to fall slowly. A copper cylinder dropped through falls quickley. Either dropped through the tube with a slit in it fall at the same speed.

setup time: < 5 minutes

Transformer and Ring Launcher

AC power is applied to a coil in the base of the unit. A removable secondary coil with a bulb lights up when the current is applied. An aluminum loop will launch from the base because of the induced current in the loop. A split loop will not move.

setup time: < 5 minutes

Electromagnet Force on a Permanent Bar Magnet

The solenoid is powered by a current source of up to 6 amps. The bar magnet is pulled into the solenoid when the current is quickly switched on.

setup time: < 5 minutes

Electron Deflection

Use a magnet to deflect the electron beam in the tube. The electron beam is visible on the florescence coating on the inside of the front of the tube.

setup time: < 10 minutes