Demonstrations in Physics
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Education, Television |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Julius Sumner Miller |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Educational science television program |
Demonstrations in Physics was an Australian educational science program created by ABC Television in 1969. Presented by American physicist Julius Sumner Miller, the series showcased a variety of physics experiments spanning multiple fields. In the United States, it was also broadcast under the title Science Demonstrations.
The show consisted of 45 episodes, each approximately 15 minutes long, divided into three thematic sections: Mechanics; Heat and Temperature / Toys; and Waves and Sound / Electricity and Magnetism.
Episodes
The following episode list is based on a single video collection index (titles given by Professor Miller frequently differ).
Unit 1 - Mechanics
- Episode 1. Concept of the Center of Gravity
- Episode 2. Newton's First Law of Motion
- Episode 3. Newton's Second Law of Motion
- Episode 4. Newton's Third Law of Motion
- Episode 5. Momentum and Energy
- Episode 6. Falling Bodies and Projectile Motion
- Episode 7. Oscillations and the Simple Pendulum
- Episode 8. Explorations with Bernoulli's Principle
- Episode 9. Soap Films and Soap Bubbles
- Episode 10. Atmospheric Pressure and Gas Characteristics
- Episode 11. Centrifugal Force and Other Peculiar Phenomena
- Episode 12. The Unusual Behavior of Rolling Objects
- Episode 13. Archimedes' Principle Explained
- Episode 14. Pascal's Principle and Liquid Properties
- Episode 15. Levers, Inclined Planes, Gears, and Various Machines
Unit 2, Part I - Heat and Temperature
- Episode 16. Understanding Heat and Temperature Concepts
- Episode 17. Thermometric Processes and Properties
- Episode 18. Methods for Generating Heat Energy
- Episode 19. Thermal Expansion in Solids
- Episode 20. Expansion of Gases and Liquids Due to Heat
- Episode 21. The Unique Thermal Characteristics of Ice and Water
- Episode 22. Heat Transfer through Conduction
- Episode 23. Heat Transfer via Convection
- Episode 24. Radiation as a Mode of Heat Transfer
- Episode 25. Processes of Evaporation, Boiling, and Freezing
- Episode 26. Various Experiments in Heat Phenomena
- Episode 27. Substances at Extremely Low Temperatures
Unit 2, Part II - The Physics of Toys
- Episode 28. Mechanical Principles in Toys
- Episode 29. Acoustic and Thermal Aspects of Toys
- Episode 30. Electrostatic, Magnetic, and Other Toy Physics
Unit 3, Part I - Waves and Sound
- Episode 31. Types and Characteristics of Waves
- Episode 32. Sound Waves: Origins and Properties
- Relationship between frequency, pitch, and musical notes
- Generation of sound through vibrating systems requiring a medium
- Producing different pitches by flexing metal plates
- Creating sounds with rotating perforated plates—symmetrical holes yield musical tones; asymmetrical holes produce noise
- Vibrating meter sticks extended beyond table edges
- Frequency variations from rubbing thumbnails on coins, tearing fabric, filing wood, or riffling cards
- Human auditory range spanning from approximately 16 Hz to 16 kHz
- Nodes appearing in vibrating bars and tuning forks
- Use of notched sticks combined with spinning propellers
- Orchestra tuning procedures and reasons pianos are excluded
- Episode 33. Vibrating Bars and Strings
- Mounting bars on resonators at specific points for vibration
- Beats produced by slightly detuned bars or tuning forks
- Frequency reduction by applying rubber bands to tuning forks
- Visual demonstration of metal bar vibrations using a pipe
- Holding vibrating bars at nodal points to sustain vibration; touching elsewhere dampens it
- Nodes located at about 22.4% from each end of bars
- Attempts to transfer vibrations between tuning forks through resonant boxes were unsuccessful
- Musical sticks demonstrating standing waves on strings by altering tension
- Resonance facilitating vibration transfer between bars
- Episode 34. Forced Vibrations and Resonance
- Episode 35. Pipes Producing Sound
- Episode 36. Vibrations in Rods and Plates
- Episode 37. Additional Experiments in Sound
Unit 3, Part II - Electricity and Magnetism
- Episode 38. Electrostatic Effects
- Episode 39. Exploring Electric Charges
- Episode 40. Exploring Magnetic Phenomena
- Episode 41. Methods of Generating Electricity
- Episode 42. Characteristics and Impacts of Electric Currents
- Episode 43. Exploring Electromagnetism
- Episode 44. Advanced Explorations in Electromagnetism
- Episode 45. Various Fascinating Topics in Electricity & Magnetism