Nuclear Physics
PIRA classification 7D
Grayed Demos are either not available or haven't been built yet. |
7D10. Radioactivity
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
7D10.09 |
radiation saftey |
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Introduction to the handbook "Radiation Protection in Teaching Institutions" with brief presentation of urgently needed information. |
7D10.10 |
gieger counter & samples |
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Listen to a Geiger counter when radioactive samples are tested. Place objects like paper, wood, and lead between the source and the tube to check their shielding properties. |
7D10.10 |
gieger counter & samples |
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7D10.11 |
sources of radioactivity |
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Obtain radioactive ore or old radon seeds. |
7D10.12 |
radioactive plate |
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A red "fiesta" plate is checked for radioactivity. |
7D10.15 |
coin flip half life |
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7D10.20 |
half life with isotope generator |
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7D10.20 |
half life with isotope generator |
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Three isotope generators that can be "milked". |
7D10.20 |
half life |
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The half life of a barium 137 sample recorded on a computer based analyzer. |
7D10.21 |
isotope generator |
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The commercial Cs/Ba generator. |
7D10.21 |
isotope generator |
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On the amount of the longer-lived Sn coming through the generator. |
7D10.21 |
reply to comment |
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You idiots. |
7D10.25 |
radon in the air |
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7D10.25 |
radon, thoron in the air |
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Pump air through a filter and measure the decay to get two half lives of 32 min and 10 hr. |
7D10.25 |
radon in the air half life |
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Pump air through a filter and place the filter under a counter attached to a strip chart recorder. Reference: AJP 28(11),743. |
7D10.27 |
emanation electroscope |
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Demonstrate thorium half life by observing the decay of an emanation electroscope. |
7D10.27 |
emanation electroscope |
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The Welch emanation electroscope is used to demonstrate thorium half life. Reference: AJP 29(11),789. |
7D10.30 |
contamination by neutron source |
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7D10.30 |
contamination by neutron source |
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A coin is placed with a neutron source on a paraffin block for a minute and then tested for radioactivity. |
7D10.31 |
buildup and decay |
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Aluminum foil on the rim of a wheel rotates between a neutron source and beta detector. |
7D10.33 |
half life of silver |
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Measure the half life of silver activated by a neutron source. |
7D10.33 |
half life of silver |
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Use a neutron source and silver dollar. |
7D10.36 |
radoiactive iodine source |
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Irradiate the sodium iodide crystal that is in the scintillation spectrometer. |
7D10.40 |
secular equilibrium |
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7D10.40 |
secular and transient equilibrium |
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Water flow models of the half life of the daughter being much less and less than the parent. |
7D10.40 |
radioactive decay model |
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Cylindrical vessels placed above each other show a hydraulic model of radioactive decay. |
7D10.41 |
secular equilibruim in series |
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A model of a series of disintegrations with a series of capillary tubes emptying into each other. |
7D10.41 |
simultaneous decay model |
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Water from two capillaries starting with water at different heights is collected and the results plotted. |
7D10.42 |
water flow model of decay |
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Water drips from a capillary for equal time intervals into a series of test tubes. In another setup, the water drips through wire meshes to a counter. |
7D10.45 |
electrical analog of decay |
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7D10.47 |
electric analog of decay |
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An electrical circuit allows three consecutive first-order rate reactions. |
7D10.47 |
atomic radiative decay analog |
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The response of an electrical circuit is compared to the decay characteristics of coupled three level atomic systems. |
7D10.48 |
analog computer decay model |
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Circuit for an analog computer does three stage nuclear chain decay. |
7D10.50 |
dice on the overhead |
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7D10.50 |
dice on the overhead |
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7D10.50 |
dice on the overhead |
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Drill a face centered hole through each of twenty dice and roll he bunch on an overhead projector, removing the ones that light shows through. |
7D10.55 |
coin toss half life |
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7D10.60 |
range and absorption |
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7D10.60 |
range and absorption |
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Different barriers are placed between a gamma source and a detector. |
7D10.60 |
nuclear shielding |
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Cardboard, aluminum, and lead sheets shield a detector. |
7D10.61 |
beta and gamma ray absorption |
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A set of absorbers for showing alpha, beta, and gamma absorption. |
7D10.65 |
exponential absorption model |
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A series of neutral density filters are added to a light and photocell arrangement to model absorption. |
7D10.70 |
range of alpha particles |
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Bring an alpha source near a grid and plate connected to an electroscope. |
7D10.75 |
scattering of alpha particles |
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A thin metal foil placed between an alpha source and a detector shows the intensity of scattering dependent on angle. |
7D10.80 |
cosmic rays |
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7D10.80 |
cosmic rays |
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Scintillator paddles are placed on each side of a person and simultaneous events indicate cosmic ray muons passing through the body. |
7D20. Nuclear Reactions
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
7D20.00 |
Nuclear Reactions |
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7D20.10 |
mousetraps |
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7D20.10 |
mousetraps |
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56 mousetraps in a cage are each set with two corks. |
7D20.10 |
mousetrap chain reaction |
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A large number of mousetraps set with two corks each in a large cage. |
7D20.10 |
mousetrap chain reaction |
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Ping pong balls on mousetraps. |
7D20.11 |
better mousetrap |
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An electronic mousetrap array that can be used as a single event "bomb" or a continuous self-sustaining nuclear reaction. |
7D20.11 |
mousetrap improvments |
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Attach groups of six mousetraps to a hardwood block. The spacing between the blocks can be varied to produce subcritical, critical, or supercritical assemblies. Place two wood blocks on each trap. |
7D20.12 |
nuclear-disintegration model |
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A ball rolls down an incline and hits a group of balls in a small potential well. |
7D20.15 |
match chain reactions |
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7D20.15 |
match chain reactions |
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7D20.15 |
match chain reaction |
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Matches are spaced differently in two perpendicular rows. Light the match at the junction and the entire row with the smaller spacing ignites. |
7D20.20 |
dominoes chain reaction |
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7D20.20 |
dominoes chain reaction |
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Knock down a row of dominoes of ever increasing size. |
7D20.20 |
domino "chain reaction" |
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A whisp of cotton knocks over a small domino starting a chain reaction in which each succeeding domino is 1 1/2 times larger in all dimensions. |
7D20.30 |
uranium model |
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A sphere contains internal mechanisms to eject two balls (electrons) after a ball is dropped in (thermal neutron.) Pictures, Construction details in appendix, p. 1378. |
7D20.31 |
U235 fission model |
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A wooden sphere flies apart and ejects two wood balls and an iron sphere when an iron sphere is dropped in. Pictures, Construction details in appendix, p. 1380. |
7D20.35 |
fission model - liquid drop |
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Probe a motor oil drop in alcohol/water to induce "fission". |
7D20.40 |
moderation of fast neutrons |
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The moderation of fast neutrons in paraffin yields both fast and thermal neutrons shown by shielding the boron counter with a Cd sheet and detecting thermal neutrons from a second paraffin block. |
7D20.41 |
water model xenon poisoning reactor |
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A water flow model of the behavior of a thermal neutron reactor with xenon poisoning. |
7D20.60 |
resonance absorption of gamma rays |
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Model of resonance absorption of gamma rays consists of an electromagnetically driven tuning fork and audio oscillator. |
7D20.90 |
nuclear explosion effects |
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An introductory level summary of the physics of a nuclear bomb explosion and the effects on humans. |
7D30. Particle Detectors
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
7D30.05 |
Ludlum Detectors |
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7D30.05 |
Ludlum Detectors |
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Ludlum hand held alpha, beta, and gamma detectors are used with a variety of sources. |
7D30.05 |
survey meters |
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Alpha, beta, and gamma survey meter and slow neutron monitor. |
7D30.06 |
GM tube to Apple circuit |
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A simple complete circuit for biasing a GM tube, pulse shaping, and interfacing to an Apple computer. |
7D30.08 |
Poisson destribution of counts |
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An electronic circuit provides output pulses when the time interval between pulses is of the preset value. Show the difference between inputs from a scintillation detector and Geiger counter. |
7D30.10 |
nixie Geiger counter |
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7D30.10 |
nixie geiger counter |
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A Geiger tube in a lead brick is used with a nixie tube counter. |
7D30.10 |
geiger counter |
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A Geiger tube in a lead block is attached to a nixie tube counter. |
7D30.11 |
Geiger-Muller tube |
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Make a simple tube with a wire down the middle at low pressure. Includes circuits for counters. |
7D30.12 |
Geiger point counter |
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A Geiger point counter made with an ordinary steel phonograph needle. |
7D30.13 |
water-jet counter |
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A fine water jet impinging on a rubber diaphragm is controlled by a metal electrode. |
7D30.14 |
ionizaton avalanche model |
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Rows of balls held on an inclined plank at intervals by wires from an avalanche starting with one ball as more balls are knocked out in each interval. |
7D30.15 |
thermal neutron detector |
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7D30.15 |
thermal neutron detector |
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A UO2 detector for fission produced thermal neutrons. |
7D30.16 |
neutron howitzer |
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A 55 gal drum filled with paraffin. |
7D30.16 |
neutron howitzer |
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A 2 curie neutron source is used with a BF3 detector. |
7D30.20 |
alpha detector |
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7D30.20 |
alpha detector |
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The Cenco alpha detector with a high voltage bias between a plate and a wire grid. |
7D30.20 |
Cenco alpha detector review |
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Long review of the Cenco alpha counter originally developed by Harold Waage. |
7D30.20 |
grid alpha detector |
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A grid over a plate is biased just below sparking and an alpha source is brought near. Cenco photo. |
7D30.21 |
simple alpha detector |
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Directions on making a simple homemade single wire spark counter. |
7D30.22 |
Si photodiode alpha detector |
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Use a Si photodiode as a alpha detector. A charge sensitive preamp design is included. |
7D30.25 |
spark chamber |
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7D30.25 |
spark chambers |
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Plans for two types of spark chambers: multiplate and "curtain discharge". |
7D30.25 |
spark chamber |
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Construction details, driver and power supply circuits for a small spark chamber. |
7D30.25 |
spark chamber |
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A small spark chamber is shown. Pictures, Construction details in appendix, p.1390, Reference: AJP 31(8),571. |
7D30.28 |
ionization chamber |
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A simple parallel plate ionization chamber built in an aluminum roasting chamber with a sensitive volume of 75 cubic inches. |
7D30.30 |
magnetic deflection of beta rays |
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A magnet is used to bend electrons from a beta source past a shield to a detector. |
7D30.31 |
beta spectrometer |
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A qualitative beta spectrometer for use as a lecture demonstration. Pictures, Diagrams, Construction details in appendix, p. 1370. |
7D30.32 |
demonstration beta spectrometer |
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A small beta spectrometer with a 4" face. |
7D30.40 |
film detection |
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Several samples are placed on a large sheet of film overnight and the film is developed the next day showing which are radioactive. |
7D30.41 |
film detection |
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On using Polaroid land sheet film packets as a detector for radiation experiments and demonstrations. |
7D30.50 |
Wilson cloud chamber |
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7D30.50 |
Wilson cloud chamber |
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Squeeze the rubber bulb of the Wilson cloud chamber and watch tracks from an alpha source. |
7D30.50 |
Wilson cloud chamber |
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The Knipp type chamber with a rubber bulb and alpha source. |
7D30.51 |
Wilson cloud chamber |
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An expansion cloud chamber mounted in a lantern projector. |
7D30.55 |
cycling Wilson cloud chamber |
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An automatically cycling Wilson cloud chamber. Pictures, Construction details in appendix, p.1382, Reference: AJP 18(3),149. |
7D30.60 |
diffusion cloud chambers |
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Dry ice diffusion cloud chambers. |
7D30.60 |
pira200 |
Use dry ice to create a cloud chamber. |
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7D30.60 |
cloud chamber accessories |
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Drawings of a lamp housing and chamber housing. |
7D30.60 |
small cloud chamber |
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A 10x10x10 cm plexiglass cube cloud chamber suitable for TV projection. |
7D30.60 |
small cloud chamber |
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A transparent plastic refrigerator jar on a cake of dry ice serves as a small continuous cloud chamber. |
7D30.60 |
simple diffusion cloud chamber |
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Using cheap parts to make a dry ice cloud chamber. |
7D30.60 |
diffusion cloud chamber |
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A large chamber supersaturated with alcohol vapor is cooled with an alcohol/dry ice bath at the bottom. |
7D30.60 |
large cloud chamber |
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A large alcohol/dry ice cloud chamber is shown. Pictures. |
7D30.60 |
continuous cloud chamber |
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Alcohol in a jar placed on dry ice makes a cheap cloud chamber. |
7D30.60 |
cloud chambers |
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Dry ice diffusion cloud chambers. |
7D30.62 |
cloud chamber |
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A fancier dry ice and alcohol cloud chamber. |
7D30.63 |
LN2 cooled diffusion cloud chamber |
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The design of a LN2 cooled diffusion cloud chamber with increased sensitivity and quick startup. |
7D30.64 |
cloud chamber - vacuum jacket |
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Design for a vacuum jacket that increases the sensitive area of the chamber. |
7D30.65 |
glycol cloud chamber |
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A glycol cloud chamber is heated at the top and cooled with running water at the bottom. |
7D30.68 |
photographing tracks |
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Black dye (Nigrosin) in methanol provides a dark nonreflective background, other hints. |
7D30.69 |
cloud chamber principles |
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Place a spark gap in the steam coming from a teakettle. |
7D30.70 |
model cyclotron |
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A conical pendulum is accelerated by periodic electrical forces four times per revolution to model the motion of a charged particle in an isochronous cyclotron with four 90 degree Dees. |
7D30.70 |
model cyclotron |
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A Ball is gravitationally accelerated along a spiral grove in an apparatus designed to demonstrate the principles of acceleration and phase stability in a cyclotron. |
7D30.70 |
model cyclotron |
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7D30.70 |
model cyclotron |
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7D30.71 |
linear accelerator - sand model |
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A Wimshurst charges a model linear accelerator that shoots sand out one end. |
7D30.75 |
particle focusing in accelerator |
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Inverted pendulum model of focusing in a particle accelerator. |
7D30.78 |
model synchrotron |
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A steel ball bounces on an oscillating piston with concave surface to provide focusing. At constant amplitude, the ball bounces lower when the period is decreased. |
7D30.80 |
bubble chamber photographs |
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7D30.80 |
bubble chamber photographs |
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Welch. Two slide sets taken at the 20" in chamber at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. |
7D30.80 |
bubble chamber photographs |
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Pictures and analysis of bubble chamber pictures. |
7D30.80 |
bubble chamber tracks |
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Determination of the rest mass of a hyperon particle from bubble chamber pictures. Pictures. |
7D30.90 |
mass spectrometer |
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Apparatus Drawings Project No. 7: A mass spectrometer for undergraduate lab with a resolving power of 75. |
7D30.90 |
mass spectrometer |
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Apparatus Drawings Project No. 5: Small Mass Spectrometer. Construction plans for a small radius 180 degree mass spectrometer with a salt coated tungsten filament, 1K gauss, 100V, resolving power 33. |
7D30.91 |
model linear accelerator |
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A ping pong ball is accelerated in a Plexiglas tube when a series of ring electrodes are charged by a Wimshurst |
7D30.95 |
pair production and annihilation |
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A pair of scintillation counters face each other across an electron beam interrupted by a card with the appropriate equipment to detect coincidences. |
7D30.96 |
coincidence counters for cosmic rays |
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A circuit with two Geiger-Muler tubes. |
7D40. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
7D40.00 |
NMR |
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7D40.10 |
NMR gyro model |
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7D40.10 |
NMR - gyroscope model |
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A modified gyroscope model of NMR. Diagram, References, AJP 29(10),709. |
7D40.11 |
NMR - gyroscope model |
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A gyroscope with a permanent magnet is placed on like poles of an electromagnet. |
7D40.12 |
NMR - gyroscope model |
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A gyroscope model designed to show the magnetic transitions when the field and Larmor frequency are identical. |
7D40.13 |
NMR - Maxwell top model |
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The top post of the Maxwell top is constrained by rubber bands attached to a frame to demonstrate the "flopping" of the magnetic moment vector which increases or decreases the precession angle. |
7D40.13 |
Larmor precession model |
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A spinning gyro over an electromagnet demonstrates Larmor precession. Diagram, Picture, Construction details in appendix, p.1392. |
7D40.15 |
magnetic resonance |
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A small magnet suspended driven with Helmholtz coils will oscillate at a particular frequency, but at a different frequency if a static field is applied at right angles. |
7D40.16 |
Larmor precession |
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A bicycle wheel gyro used to show Larmor precession. |
7D40.20 |
NMR - air bearing gyro model |
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An air bearing gyro with Alnico magnet in the ball and Helmholtz coils. |
7D40.20 |
air gyro in Helmholtz coils |
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NMR principles are demonstrated with an air gyro mounted between Helmholtz coils. Diagrams, Reference: AJP 33(4),322. |
7D40.22 |
Magnetic top in Helmholtz coils |
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An air driven magnetic top mounted between Helmholtz coils demonstrates spinning dipole interaction with external fields. Pictures, Construction details in appendix, p. 1393. |
7D40.30 |
spin echo spectrometer |
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7D40.30 |
spin echo spectrometer |
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Design and construction of a simple pulsed NMR spectrometer, used first in a high school physics class. |
7D40.30 |
spin echo instrument |
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Four demonstrations with a simplified spin echo instrument. |
7D40.31 |
NMR "grid dip" method with cobalt |
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A bottle of powdered cobalt, a grid current meter, and a tuned oscillator show a small dip in grid current at resonance. |
7D40.40 |
NMR with fixed field |
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Block diagram of a method to demonstrate NMR in a fixed field by sweeping and modulating the frequency. |
7D40.40 |
magnetic resonance demonstration |
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A description of a simple and inexpensive demonstration model of pulsed magnetic resonance effects. |
7D40.40 |
simple NMR spectrometer |
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Circuits for a simple NMR spectrometer. |
7D50. Models of the Nucleus
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
7D50.00 |
Models of the Nucleus |
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7D50.10 |
Rutherford scattering |
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7D50.10 |
Rutherford scattering |
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Balls roll down a ramp onto a potential surface to model Rutherford scattering. |
7D50.10 |
scattering surface with analyzer |
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Balls roll down an incline onto a scattering surface. Eighteen pockets ring the surface. |
7D50.11 |
Rutherford scattering on the OH |
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Ink dipped balls are rolled down an incline toward a clear plastic potential hill on an overhead projector stage. |
7D50.12 |
alpha particle scattering model |
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A magnet pendulum is repulsed by the pole of a vertical electromagnet. Orbits can be demonstrated in the attracting case. |
7D50.13 |
Rutherford pendulum |
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An electromagnet pendulum suspended from an aluminum rod swings by an electromagnet on the table. |
7D50.14 |
Rutherford scattering on table |
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A dry ice puck with a vertically mounted magnet is placed on a glass plate with a second vertically oriented magnet just underneath to give an inverse square force. |
7D50.15 |
alpha particle scattering model |
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A ping pong ball pendulum is suspended above a Van de Graaff generator. |
7D50.16 |
"Welch" scattering apparatus |
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On using the "Welch" ball bearing scattering apparatus to model the conditions of an experiment in nuclear physics as far as possible. |
7D50.19 |
alpha scattering |
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Apparatus Drawings Project No. 16: Simple Rutherford scattering using an annular ring of scattering material. The distance from the ring to the detector is varied giving scattering angles from 28 to 71 degrees. |
7D50.19 |
Rutherford scattering |
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Take data for thirty minutes as a lecture demonstration. |
7D50.20 |
Rutherford scattering animation |
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7D50.20 |
Rutherford scattering animation |
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An animation of alpha particle scattering. |
7D50.30 |
Thompson model |
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7D50.30 |
Thompson model of the atom |
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Vertical needle magnets stuck in corks float in a pan of water surrounded by a coil on the overhead projector. |
7D50.30 |
the Thompson model |
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Looks like it might be the vertical magnets in a coil apparatus. Reference: H.E.White, Modern College Physics, 5th ed., p 452. |
7D50.35 |
Thompson vs. Rutherford model |
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An apparatus to randomly shoot steel balls at models of the Thompson or Rutherford atom. |
7D50.40 |
1/r surface model of nucleus |
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A Lucite 1/r surface with a well and accelerating ramp for ball bearings is used to show repulsion, capture, and ejection. Picture, Construction details in appendix., p.1372. |
7D50.42 |
short range/long range surface |
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Deform a rubber sheet by boiling water in a test tube and holding it against the rubber sheet so it gets sucked down, then lift the test tube to make a potential barrier. |
7D50.45 |
electron falls into nucleus |
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A ball rolling in a funnel falls into the middle. |
7D50.46 |
mass defect |
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7D50.46 |
mass defect |
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7D50.65 |
chemical heart nucleus model |
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The chemical heart vibrates in various modes giving a crude model of a nucleus. Recipe included. |
7D50.65 |
mercury ameoba model of the nucleus |
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The mercury amoeba is used to demonstrate vibratory motion analogous to oscillations of an excited nucleus. Reference: AJP 28(6),561. |
7D50.90 |
scattering x-rays by paraffin |
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A paraffin block is inserted to scatter x-rays into a Geiger counter. |