PHYSICS TOYS

1. Mutant flying pig: Eats batteries. Not sure why Arbor Scientific is selling this. Useful as visual aid in discussing circular motion in Physics 1000, Astronomy or Physics 1500.

2. Light up gyroscope: Gyroscope lights up as it spins. Use in connection with angular momentum.

3. Hall hockey pucks: If you have a small class or have large space like Parker 307, put these on the floor and use for 2 dimensional collisions. Float on air cushion. Can be kicked. Advance notice needed to charge up batteries.

4. Smoke ring blower: Gun like device blows smoke rings. Produce vortex like hurricane or tornado.

5. Hoberman sphere: Illustrate expansion of the universe. Junction (galaxies) remain same size while space between expands.

6. Magnetized spheres: Use to illustrate nuclear reactions for light elements. Strong nuclear force simulated by magnetism.

7. Doppler sphere: For safety put buzzer in Nerf sphere and swing around to demonstrate Doppler shift.

8. Yo-yo: Illustrate Potential energy being transformed to kinetic energy and vice versa.

9. Sound sticks: Moving object in tube produces sound whose loudness varies as movement of object causes length of vibrating air column to go in and out of resonance.

10. Colliding balls: Put small piece of paper on one metal ball. Roll other ball so its hit first. Some of the kinetic energy will produce enough heat to burn hole in paper. If you sniff it you can tell hole was burned not torn.

11. Bounce/No Bounce: Balls look the same. One bounces. One does not. Use when talking about coefficient of restitution or energy conversion (PE>KE> heat and sound).

12. Ping-Pong glow balls: Touch metal contacts. Ball glows and makes sound. Use in connection with resistance and electrical safety.