The primary purpose of the Physics Lecture-Demonstration Facility is to aid and support the teaching program in the Department of Physics. To this end, this memo contains information regarding:
A Lecture-Demonstration staff member will, in general, be present from 7:45 AM to 5:15 PM, and until 9:00 PM on evenings when physics classes are held in the lecture halls. At other hours, security precautions make it necessary to limit access to Facility personnel, except by prior arrangement.
Materials are organized by physics topic and summarized in lists and index books kept in room 0402 of the Physics Building. Please leave the index books in room 0402 at all times. If you need to review materials outside the Facility, please ask one of our staff members to make you a copy. Much of this material is also found on the World Wide Web address
Lists are available of Lecture-Demonstration materials keyed to several courses: inclusive lists for PHYS 102 and PHYS 106 (by chapter and section in the texts); lists of selected materials for PHYS 161, 262, and 263 (by chapter in the text); and lists of demonstrations used during the 1996-1997 academic year in all lower level courses.
Most Lecture-Demonstration materials are available anywhere in the Physics Building. By prior arrangement, certain materials or equipment may be removed from the building for limited periods of time.
The Demonstration and Audiovisual Materials lists at the sign-up desk in room 0402 of the Physics Building and on the World Wide Web will be kept current with new acquisitions and developments. Descriptions of demonstrations and other materials will be added to our documentation as they occur. Printed copies of this memo and the lists of Demonstrations and Audiovisual Materials as of the beginning of each academic year will be available upon request.
I. Demonstrations
Over 1500 demonstrations are listed by topic in the index books on the World Wide Web, and will be delivered as described and photographed when requested by number using the electronic sign-up system described in Section 6 below. When further information is required regarding any demonstration please ask a Lecture-Demonstration staff member.
In general, storage locations of demonstration equipment in room 0406 are arranged by physics topic. You are invited to browse through the storage area to see equipment available in your areas of need.
As always, we seek your advice and counsel in developing new demonstrations, which will be prioritized by consideration of overall demand and general Facility development. The procedure by which new demonstrations are added to our Facility library includes evaluation of need as well as proper design and construction, so as to assure both reliability and durability while accurately demonstrating the desired phenomenon. New demonstration requests should in general pass through Dr. Berg.
2. Audiovisual Materials
These materials are listed in a separate Audiovisual Materials list and described in more detail either in a set of Audiovisual Materials Index Books or, in the case of Film Loops, on the film loop cartridge container. Descriptions in the index books include a brief summary from the producer as well as any comments provided by users.
a. Movies and Videotapes
About 250 16-mm movies and VHS videotapes are listed in the Audiovisual Materials list and described in a set of Audiovisual index books. Many of our older movies have been converted to VHS videotape format.
Movies can be played on a portable machine in any classroom or in the lecture halls. Videotapes are played in the classrooms using a portable VHS deck and monitor, or in the lecture halls using a built-in videocassette deck and the rear screen video projector. Both standard VHS and S-video playback are now available.
b. Videodiscs
We have a substantial collection of videodiscs, which are listed by topic in the Audiovisual Materials index books. Our videodisc library includes a number of NASA discs (containing filmed sequences as well as individual photographs), several physics demonstration and interactive discs, including the 25-disc "Video Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations," and a number of discs furnished by publishers as supplements to their books, containing demonstrations as well as transparencies from the books.
Videodiscs can be played anywhere in the Physics Building using a player and monitor on a portable cart. For lecture hall use the video is displayed using the rear screen projection facilities.
c. Film Loops
Approximately 300 single-topic super-8 mm film loops are listed by topic in the Audiovisual Materials index. They are stored in a large filing cabinet in room 0402, and can be previewed using projectors on the cabinet. Most film loops are short (3 to 4 minutes) and descriptive material is available on their containers, so summaries are not provided in the index books.
Film loops can be played in classrooms using projectors found in locked cabinets in each classroom. Please see Facility personnel about delivery of film loops and access to projectors in the locked cabinets. Pull-down projection screens are available in all classrooms. In the lecture halls film loops are played using proje ctors on rolling stands which project onto white screens behind the blackboards.
d. Slides and Transparencies
Several slide sets are now available:
Slides can be shown in classrooms using projectors found in locked cabinets in each classroom. Please see Facility personnel about delivery of slides and access to projectors in the locked cabinets. Pull-down projection screens are available in all classrooms. In the lecture halls slides are displayed using rear-screen projectors controlled from the lectern.
Several sets of overhead projector transparencies related to certain textbooks have been obtained from the book publishers, including the famous Harvard Project Physics set.
Donations to our slide file are welcome. Please include originals or references from which additional copies can be made in case those in the file are lost.
3. Computing Equipment and Software
Several reasonably modern computers are now available from the Lecture-Demonstration Facility, including:
Considerable software and interface apparatus is resident on each computer. In addition, a large amount of software for both the IBM and the Macintosh is available in room 0402 or off the Departmental server. This includes both M.U.P.P.E.T. materials and Physics Academic Software. We encourage you to become familiar with this software, and enthusiastically solicit your comments as to the effectiveness of these materials in classroom settings, both for technical and for educational quality and for usability.
Video from these computers can be displayed in the lecture halls using the rear-screen video projectors. In classrooms video can be displayed using a color projector with 640x480 resolution.
4. Other Facilities and Services
Other equipment available from the Lecture-Demonstration Facility includes:
Please see a staff member for instruction as to how to use the lectern controls and the audiovisual equipment in the lecture halls. Lecture hall condiments include wireless microphones, liquid crystal touch screen lectern to control video projectors, slide projectors, and movie projectors, preset lighting controls, intercom, and remote videocassette playback.
Seats in the Lecture Halls (rooms 1410 and 1412 of the Physics Building) are numbered, and seating charts are available for use in organizing classes for exams, etc. A transparency of the seating chart can be projected onto the front screen in the hall as a guide for students finding their seats. An E-size blueprint (34"x44") of the seating chart can be made for faculty to use in seating assignments.
Glass display cases are available at several locations in the environs of the lecture hall lobby. These cases can be used to post homework solutions, test results, and grades. Please see a Lecture-Demonstration staff member if you would like to obtain a display case for your use.
Class information can also be distributed on-line through the INFORM system. Interested faculty members are assigned space on INFORM and will be given instruction on how to set up their own class pages by one of a host of knowledgeable individuals. Please ask about this system if you are interested in setting up your own little corner of cyberspace. To visit INFORM open Netscape to the URL:
5. Reference Materials
Reference material relating to the various Lecture-Demonstration activities is filed in Room PHYS 0402 for use by teaching faculty and graduate students. These files include:
NOTE: Please do not remove reference materials from room 0402. For duplication, ask one of our staff members.
6. Arrangements and Communications
Sign-up for demonstrations and other materials is now done electronically using Netscape by addressing the Lecture-Demonstration Facility home page and choosing "Demonstration Sign Up." The program requires Netscape 2.0 (or higher), which can be obtained free by downloading it from the Netscape home page or by request from Physics Computing Services. Just go to Demonstration Sign Up and follow the instructions given. You must see Lecture-Demonstration personnel to obtain your password.
You may view the sign-up book from the Lecture-Demonstration home page by choosing "View Sign-Up Book" and entering the date you wish to see. Just scroll through the book page to see what has been requested or to verify that your recent request actually made it into the book. Requests are ordered by date and time in the electronic sign-up book.
Demonstrations will be set up about 30 minutes ahead of class in the lecture halls, and will be delivered to classrooms shortly before the class is scheduled to begin. Please check for scheduling conflicts when signing up for a demonstration.
In the unlikely event that some piece of equipment should fail, please let a staff member know as soon as possible. Suggestions are welcome regarding new or improved demonstrations, equipment purchases, or improvements in existing materials.
For comments or constructive criticism of this document please e-mail Dr. Richard Berg,rb22@umail.umd.edu, or send comments by phone at 405-5994.
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