Physics Demonstrations

The following categories, using the Physics Instructional Resource Association (PIRA) demonstration Classification scheme, are available now. Read the disclaimer!

• Mechanics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Oscillations and Waves
• Thermodynamics
• Electricity and Magnetism
• Optics
• Modern Physics
• Astronomy
• Equipment/Miscellaneous

Additionally, the PIRA Demonstration Bibliography lists thousands of referenced demonstrations, categorized according to physics concept. The PIRA website also contains other excellent free resources for physics education, such as Sutton’s Demonstration Experiments in Physics and physics tests/lecture drawings.

Disclaimer:

The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging, and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and their staff. The university is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment and established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also easily be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources.