Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

Self-Leveling Pool Table On Cruise Ship

Description:  This pool table on the cruise ship Radiance of the Seas uses gyroscopic leveling to keep the pool table level during rough seas. This design solution could be used to start a unit on waves. After learning more about the amplitude, wavelength and energy of waves students could attempt to build a similar solution of their own.

Web Resources: Gyroscope used for self-leveling cruise ship pool table - Geek.com,  Gyroscope - Wikipedia

 
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Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

Rubens' Tube

Description:  The Rubens' tube was invented by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905. It is a tube that is sealed at both ends in includes a flammable gas like propane. A speaker is attached to one end of the tube so sound waves can be transmitted thought the air/gas mixture. Small holes are drilled in the top of the tube and when the air/gas mixture emerges it creates a flame. As sound is played standing waves are created in the flames that change as the frequency of the waves is changed.

Web Resource:  Rubens’ tube - Wikipedia

 
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Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

The Visual Microphone: Passive Recovery Of Sound From Video

Description:  In this amazing demonstration researchers are able to extract audio from the video of an object (a plant, an empty bag, etc.) in the same room as the sound. The sound waves vibrate the object which is made visible through tiny movements processed with a graphic algorithm. This could be used as a phenomenon in a unit on sounds, waves, and information.

Web Resource:  Extracting audio from visual information - MIT News

 
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Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

Daniel Kish Uses Echolocation To Navigate

Description:  Daniel Kish lost his eyes to cancer before he was 13 months old. He uses echolocation by listening to the reflection of sound waves to navigate in 3D space. He can even ride a bicycle. In addition to being an incredible story of perseverance this is a perfect phenomenon for a unit on waves. Sound waves are reflected, absorbed, and transmitted through objects in the environment and Daniel can sense the changes in energy of the returning waves.

Web Resource: Daniel Kish - Wikipedia

 
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Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

Analog vs. Digital Television

Description:  In this video an analog and a digital television signal are compared. Many students today are not familiar with analog television and the problem of static. Analog television uses changes in the amplitude, frequency or phase of the radio waves to transmit information. Problems of this technology include susceptibility to interference (or static), color consistency, and a smaller image. Digital sends the information as a series of 0's and 1's that are converted into the pixels on the screen. It is difficult to find an analog television signals in the US but the radio is a great substitute.

Web Resource:  Analog vs. Digital Television - Lifewire

 
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Paul Andersen Paul Andersen

Amazing Slinky Tricks

Description:  The Slinky was invented by Richard James, an engineer, who was working with springs to support and stabilize equipment on a ship. Simple slinky tricks show how forces (pushes and pulls) change the direction of an object. Students can design a set of stairs, or obstacles, that the Slinky can navigate. In the secondary science classroom it can be used to investigate inertia, oscillations, and Hooke's law. This phenomenon can also be used to investigate wave properties.

Web Resource:  Slinky - Wikipedia

 
 
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