Blue morpho butterfly with wings open showing the blue colour.
On a school trip to the zoo today and was pleased that I managed to get a nice photo of the structural colour of the morpho butterfly.
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I recommend a Wacom pen display or similar as you can write on it whilst facing the class and it feels more like paper but appears on the board.
It works really well with BoomWhackers to look at the harmonics in open-closed and open-open pipes.
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Same note but what's the difference? A simple standing/stationary waves in pipes demonstration
youtu.be/jqapLI7VqZQ
Half-life eith statically charged balloon:
youtu.be/r-WnOKvt-lI
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Latest idea for using a Radiacode (Ad). A gamma camera.
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Demonstrating the idea of gamma camera imaging
youtu.be/PyGlHtvihXA
As tungsten halogen lamps give out some UV I wondered if I could use a vintage Rank Aldis Tutor 2 slide projector to show UV beyond the visible light in a spectrum
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Two simple ways to reveal the UV beyond the violet end of the visible light specturm
youtu.be/8lr-LA-0xzc
I have made some great connections after sending messages to thank people when I have used their website, app and resources and often got more good suggestions back in return.
The breaking stress of a crunchie bar practical is a standard for my physics lessons during the materials topic so I made this video describing it.
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youtu.be/Kr6YKfMN1f0
Making good use of the Radiacode 110 which they kindly sent me for using in my YouTube videos I made this video about radioactive things you can buy relatively cheaply. I hope you like it.
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youtu.be/gdcyphtu26k
Thanks to @cleapss.bsky.social for the article in their bulletin from which I learnt about the Radiacode.
Radiacode kindly agreed to send me one of their gamma ray detectors (the Radiacode 110) so that I could see how it might be used in physics teaching. Here is the first video making a gamma ray spectrum from the school cobalt 60 source
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youtu.be/DRDnrSdAKTs
Great! Shade the back with some black sugar paper to make the image easier to see.
Measuring count rate is worth doing along with the standard penetrating power:
Measuring count rate of stronitum 90 source
youtu.be/QEhyZ_GU5B4
This is also fun as a simple model: Sweet Radioactive Decay
youtu.be/NLrTlm_VWpw
I use this for deflection of beta particles.
Deflection of beta particles by a magnetic field
youtu.be/MGJLSOM7Xg4
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Interestingly in my efforts to include more diverse role models in physics lessons, astronomy is the one area where I feel I am totally spoilt for choice and can’t fit them all in. Perhaps more Space topic in a reviewed curriculum would help improve things.
Great activity. I will add it to my ideas set for teaching waves when I next do an update.
Thanks to @phetsims.bsky.social for the useful simulations to use in the explanation.
Inspired by @harvard.edu natural sciences lecture demonstrations video which shows a projected absorption spectrum of sodium I created this version with an extension to then project the emission spectrum. I hope you like it.
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youtu.be/Gz--LUuYvSg
And less tempting to be stolen and eaten!
Thanks for posting Dan - you have saved me a job that was on my to do list. #SciTeachUK
Here is the trailer video: youtu.be/Ni5s2HXCzXI
Yes a 250W halogen bulb in a 1960s slide projecto.
It is quick to set up if you already have a gravity well.
This video is about how to use 4 way stretch cloth to model electric fields. It is based on an activity in the @perimeterinstitute.ca resources for teaching fields available from here: resources.perimeterinstitute.ca/products/fie... if you make a free account.
youtu.be/ea6RB8nb6iU
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Simple investigation of a a parallel plate capacitor using a multimeter, Aluminium foil and printer paper:
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youtu.be/vhlyCSOw5f4
I think it would be v difficult to show the laser beams in ambient light and for a prolonged period. It might be better to have a second demo of showing the path of a laser beam nearby.
The difficulty is not damaging the optical components. I used a very light smoke for a short time from burning a paper craft straw ( Like you can use for brownian motion smoke cells ) in a blacked out room. I think most things could end up leaving a residue in the optical components.
Yes it is good fun. I made this video when I borrowed one.
youtu.be/8I3JCa8wCQQ
I am just projecting the image of a narrow single slit. And then using 1000 lines per mm diffraction film directly in front of the projector lens. But the Rank Aldis Tutor 2 is very bright 250W halogen bulb. It produces a little UV so you shouldn’t look into the lens. They go for £30-40 on ebay.
Large visible light spectrum on lab wall about 2m long and half a metre high.
Used my ‘new’ 1960’s slide projector to make the best projected spectrum I have managed. I hope my students appreciated it.
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