Physics Talks and Demo Shows

First Annual 'Physics Phun' Show

Geysers, flaming organ pipes, vacuum cannon and more will all be explained at the Old Dominion University Department of Physics's first annual 'Physics Phun' demonstration show. We will explore motion, sound, electricity and pressure using physics demonstrations ranging from the spectacular to the puzzling. No prior knowledge of physics is needed. The show is intended for High School students. (While the show is intended to educate and excite interest in science, it will also touch on some of the physics SOLs, including PH 4, 5, 7, 9, and 12.)

When: Four one-hour shows Thursday and Friday, January 6 and 7, 2000, at 9:30 and 11:00 in room 101 of the Mills-Godwin Building at Old Dominion University.

We had four great standing-room-only shows.  Thanks to Gail Dodge and Sebastian Kuhn for helping give the shows and thanks to the Tidewater Alliance of Chemistry Teachers for helping publicize and organize everything.

Do you or your students want to hear about some of the wonders of modern physics, want to see entertaining and educational demonstrations of physical phenomena, want to find out what physicists really do?

I and other Old Dominion University Physics Department faculty are available to give talks on Physics to local audiences including (but not limited to) High Schools, Middle Schools, Museums, ...

Subjects include:

  1. Physics and Society - what physicists do and why it is valuable (Did you know that 25% of our Gross Domestic Product depends on quantum mechanics?)
  2. Nuclear Physics - studying atoms like a five-year-old
  3. Atomic Physics
  4. The world at -300 degrees: Liquid Nitrogen demonstrations
  5. Beyond the atmosphere: demonstrations of the physics of vacuum
  6. From Lenz's Law to your home - the physics of electric power generation
Other topics available on request (we have lots of physics demonstrations).

I have given talks and shows at many places including the Virginia Children's Festival , the Virginia Children's Museum, Ghent Montessori School (Norfolk), Great Neck Middle School (Virginia Beach), First Colonial High School (VB), and Ocean Lakes High School (VB). Other faculty members have given talks and shows throughout Hampton Roads. 

For more information, contact Dr. Larry Weinstein via mail at Physics Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529; via phone at (757) 683-5803; or via e-mail at the address below.

Go back to the Physics Dept home page.

Larry Weinstein


Last modified: Wed, Oct 27, 1999 17:12:12 MET DST