June 25-29, 2018

 

Teams of high school physics teachers, high school physics students, and physics teaching majors worked together to build apparatus:

Resonance

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

Dr. Merrell Johnson

Model an AFM macroscopically by vibrating a wooden stick at resonance with a magnetic drive. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Model the magnetic splitting of degenerate energy levels and transitions using a small sphere with embedded magnet placed between large permanent magnets and a Helmholtz coil.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Dr. Mark Masters

Model the magnetic splitting of degenerate energy levels and transitions using a small sphere with embedded magnet placed between large permanent magnets and a Helmholtz coil.

 

Light as Wave

Spectrography

Dr. Timothy Grove

Calibrate using a discharge lamp. Examine Fraunhofer lines, blackbody radiation, absorption spectra of food coloring, and emission spectra of laser excited Playdoh Interferometer.

Interferometer

Dr. Gang Wang

Set it up as a Michelson interferometer or a gravitational wave detector. Measure thermal expansion of metal rods.

Acoustics

Dr. Jacob Millspaw

Acoustic Levitation

Use sound waves to lift matter. Several low cost Piezo buzzers and affordable drivers for the buzzers provide the sound waves.

Ultrasound

Apply the same apparatus to make ultrasound measurements such as range finding. Using multiple sources, one can explore beam shaping through interference.