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The Physics Teacher -- September 2008 -- Volume 46, Issue 6, pp. 358

A Physics Show Performed by Students for Kids: From Mechanics to Elementary Particle Physics

Herbi K. Dreiner

Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

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Physics students spend the early part of their training attending physics and mathematics lectures, solving problem sets, and experimenting in laboratory courses. The program is typically intensive and fairly rigid. They have little opportunity to follow their own curiosity or apply their knowledge. There have been many attempts to address this deficiency, specifically through outreach activities.1–23 For example, since 1984 Clint Sprott (University of Wisconsin) hosts a physics show entitled “The Wonders of Physics!” Dressed up as a circus director and assisted by students, Professor Sprott presents entertaining and educating experiments to a regularly packed auditorium of all age groups.5 This was in turn inspired by the “Chemistry is Fun” presentations of Basam Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin), where the students are also involved.6

© 2008 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

physics education, educational technology, educational aids, pendulums, foils, Web sites, student experiments, superconductivity, quantum theory

PACS

History
Online Aug 2008

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.2971220

  1. Vincent Mallette, “A summer course in demonstrations,” Phys. Teach. 11, 233–235 (April 1973)PHTEAH000011000004000233000001.
  2. C. G. Shugart, “Saturday science,” Phys. Teach. 14, 91–95 (Feb. 1976)PHTEAH000014000002000091000001.
  3. Jack Willis and Donald F. Kirwan, “Physics demonstrations for the public,” Phys. Teach. 14, 210–219 (April 1976)PHTEAH000014000004000210000001.
  4. Budh Ram, “Science for the public,” Phys. Teach. 15, 100–101 (Feb. 1977)PHTEAH000015000002000100000001.
  5. J. C. Sprott, “Physics to the people!” Phys. Teach. 29, 212–213 (April 1991)PHTEAH000029000004000212000001. See also http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm.
  6. See the website: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/ for more information.
  7. William J. Boone and Michael K. Roth, “Organizing school science shows,” Phys. Teach. 30, 348–350 (Sept. 1992)PHTEAH000030000006000348000001.
  8. Robert G. Greenler et al., “The Science Bag” at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: A successful forum for science outreach,” Am. J. Phys. 61, 326–329 (April 1993)AJPIAS000061000004000326000001. [ISI]
  9. Angelo Bardasis, “Outreach program for middle-school girls,” Phys. Teach. 33, 16–17 (Jan. 1995)PHTEAH000033000001000016000001.
  10. David P. Taylor, “The physics show,” Phys. Teach. 34, 364 (Sept. 1996)PHTEAH000034000006000364000001.
  11. Thomas G. Hollingsworth and Michael A. Day, “Physics as service,” Phys. Teach. 38, 472–473 (Nov. 2000)PHTEAH000038000008000472000001.
  12. James C. Dennis, “The Stephen F. Austin traveling science show,” Phys. Teach. 16, 11–14 (Jan. 1978)PHTEAH000016000001000011000001.
  13. Larry D. Kirkpatrick and Mac Rugheimer, “A holographic road show,” Phys. Teach. 17, 25–31 (Jan. 1979)PHTEAH000017000001000025000001.
  14. Doug Jenkins, “Presenting physics to the public,” Phys. Teach. 22, 96 (Feb. 1984)PHTEAH000022000002000096000001.
  15. Ariel E. Fenster, David N. Harpp, and Joseph A. Schwarcz, “Chemistry for the public: `The magic of chemistry,'” J. Chem. Educ. 62, 1100 (1985).
  16. Jimilyn Welborn, “The `physics is fun' program,” Phys. Teach. 29, 436–437 (Oct. 1991)PHTEAH000029000007000436000001.
  17. Isidor Elias, “On bringing physics into the elementary school classroom that works,” Phys. Teach. 30, 430–433 (Oct. 1992)PHTEAH000030000007000430000001.
  18. Stuart Leinoff and Karen Swan, “Catch a wave—A physics outreach program,” Phys. Teach. 31, 434–435 (Oct. 1993)PHTEAH000031000007000434000001.
  19. Michael Grote, “Knights of physics,” Phys. Teach. 33, 368 (Sept. 1995)PHTEAH000033000006000368000001.
  20. Ernie McFarland and Tom Kehn, “The fantastic physics fun show,” Phys. Teach. 34, 512–514 (Nov. 1996)PHTEAH000034000008000512000001.
  21. Julie Conlon, “Physics outreach for WYP,” Phys. Teach. 42, 468–469 (Nov. 2004)PHTEAH000042000008000468000001.
  22. Stanley Micklavzina, “Organize your own road show for WYP 2005 and beyond,” Phys. Teach. 43, 212–213 (April 2005)PHTEAH000043000004000212000001.
  23. See the website: http://www.physics.leidenuniv.nl/RINO.
  24. See the website: http://www.fysikshow.dk/aarhus.
  25. For more information see our website: http://www.physikshow.uni-bonn.de, where we have links to many photos and the movies. The movies are also all on YouTube.
  26. In Germany, physics students only have physics and mathematics courses, as well as a minor, e.g., chemistry. After three years this is considered equivalent to an American bachelor's degree. Furthermore, through an additional year of high school and military service, they are on average 1.5 years older.
  27. For more information see: http://www.ge-hennef.de/foefo/begabung_physikusse.htm.
  28. Herbi K. Dreiner and Tobias Strehlau, “Fun Physics in School: Students Perform for Students,” accepted for publication in Science in School (http://www.scienceinschool.org/).


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