The Wonders of Physics

The Wonders of Physics

It is my hope that this book and the accompanying video cassette tapes of "The Wonders of Physics" will also inspire teachers of physics to take the demonstrations beyond the classroom to the general public. All that is required is a notice to the media and a carefully planned, fast paced presentation of 20 to 30 demonstrations. Such a program never fails to attract an enthusiastic audience. The public is hungry for entertainment with educational value, and demonstrations such as described in this book will appeal to adults and children alike.
My own program is a yearly event with the best of the old demonstrations and about half new ones each year. The program is repeated several times in the space of a week or two to accommodate the demand. This is preferable to using a larger hall in which it might be difficult to see many of the demonstrations. The schedule avoids saturating the interest and permits adequate time to develop dramatic new demonstrations. The demonstrations for the general public generate a continual demand for special presentations to schools and other groups.
This book is intended for use by those with a good knowledge of physics, and thus the scientific principles involved are not explained in great detail. Many elementary physics texts are available to fill this need.
The apparatus required for the demonstrations varies considerably in complexity. Some of the demonstrations can be done with equipment available at home or from a local hardware store. Others are best constructed from components found in a well-equipped physics laboratory or available from specialized mail-order vendors. In such cases, .