What it shows:

Waves reflecting from two surfaces can interfere constructively and destructively. In this case it is light waves that are being reflected at glass/air and air/glass interfaces. The interference produces a concentric ring pattern of rainbow colors in white light, or dark and light rings in monochromatic light.

What it shows:

As a simulation of atmospheric refraction, this demonstration shows the gradual and continuous bending of light due to a gradient in the optical density of the medium. In this case the variable refracting medium is a tank of sugar water with a vertical gradient in the concentration of sugar and a HeNe laser provides the light beam. It can be used as a model of mirage formation (except that the direction of increasing refractive index is in the opposite direction) or even as a representation of the refraction of seismic waves through the Earth's...

Optical technique that allows us to see small changes in the refractivity of air and other transparent media.

What it Shows

Refraction due to inhomogeneity in air is made visible by our single-mirror schlieren optics setup. The...

A new optical illusion has been added to our geometric optics repertoire: A combination of four converging lenses creates a 3D cloaking effect.

... Read more about Paraxial Ray Optics Cloaking

View with the camera off to one side looking at the unmagnified object.

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What it shows:

The full spectrum of colors (including white) in a television picture is produced by the additive mixing of only three colors: red, green, and blue.

How it works:

In a color television tube, three separate electron beams are focused so as to strike the appropriate phosphor dot on the screen. By looking at the television screen under considerable magnification, one can clearly see that there are only three phosphors which are stimulated by the electron beam(s). The apparatus is diagrammed below.

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The experiment addresses questions like "Does color inhere in the world, or in the eye?"... Read more about Land's Retinex Theory Experiment

10 cm microwaves are used for the demonstration of travelling and standing waves, reflection, interference, refraction, diffraction, absorption, polarization, tunneling, and waveguides.

... Read more about Microwave Properties

What it shows:

When a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to a conductor carrying current, a potential difference is observed between points on opposite sides of the conductor. This happens because the magnetic field deflects the moving electrons (Lorentz force) to the edge of the conductor and the altered charge distribution generates a transverse electric field.

How it works:

The conductor is a small bar (11mm × 2mm × 2mm) of germanium (p-type?). Current (18 mA) is made to flow down the length of the bar by a 3 volt potential...

What It Shows

A large magnet with a small cylindrical gap allows a stream of liquid nitrogen to pass over and through. Poured liquid oxygen hangs between the poles in the strong field until it boils away.

What it shows:

A rectangular block of copper (measuring 6"×6"×2"), offers VERY little resistance to eddy currents generated by dragging a magnet across its surface. Thus the Lorentz force between the eddy currents and magnetic field is quite strong and you can feel a sizable drag force. Dropping a magnet onto the surface likewise produces a sizable Lorentz force, as evidenced by the damped motion of the magnet's fall. The effects are quite dramatic at liquid nitrogen temperature.

How it works:

Copper has a positive temperature...

What it shows:

It's impossible to magnetically levitate an object with static magnetic fields. However, it's posible to levitate a magnet with another hand-held magnet by taking advantage of eddy currents.

How it works:

A rectangular block of copper (6"×6"×2") is stacked on top of another one (6"×6"×1"). They are separated by 1" plastic spacers. A rectangular bar magnet (2"×2"×½") is placed in the space between them. When a second magnet is lowered from above, the two magnets attact each other. However, rather than "jumping up"...

What it shows:

A 2000 μF capacitor is discharged by a carbon steel wire. The surge of current literally vaporizes the wire and it explodes into a spectacular arc of sparks that span the front of the lecture hall.

How it works:

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