Positively Shocking!

When Robert J. Van De Graff invented his generator in 1929, he probably didn’t expect it would become one of the most widely-used tools to teach people about electrostatics! Originally developed as a particle accelerator to be used in physics research, Van De Graff Generators produce high-voltage, direct current (DC) electricity. This high voltage can… Continue reading

Who doesn’t like fire?!

Flames are the visible part of a gaseous fire, and their color depends on the fuel being burned. In this demonstration, we mix a variety of metal salts with denatured alcohol to get some amazing results! When heated through exothermic reactions, the atoms of these metal salts move to an excited, unstable state. As they… Continue reading

Liquid Nitrogen Cloud

Brrr! Liquid Nitrogen Boils at -320.4 degrees Fahrenheit. As you will see in the video, the water vapor in the air surrounding the boiling Liquid Nitrogen condenses and then freezes into ice crystals that scatter and reflect light—a mini cloud!

Whoosh Bottle!

WHOOSH! Ever wonder how @NASA gets rockets into space? With empty water jugs, of course! Just kidding, but the basic physical concept shown in this demonstration and in actual rocket launches is fundamentally the same. In this demonstration, we force expanding gases to expel from the “engine” that is our water jug. As the water… Continue reading