Shows on the Road
What is a Wonders of Physics show?

A Wonders of Physics show is a fun, engaging, and educational physics demonstration program.  We present demonstrations that help people better understand the physics in the world around them, while having fun at the same time! The show frequently involves volunteers from the audience. The show can be adapted for any age group, and is designed to last 45 minutes to an hour, but can be adjusted to fit a schedule. The best venue for a Wonders of Physics show is a large space, such as a gym, auditorium, or cafeteria. Shows can be presented for as many people as the venue holds, but is best for groups under 300, and for groups of similar age or grade level.

Physics is the science that studies how the natural world works. In a typical show, we present demonstrations that cover the six main areas of classical physics: Motion, Heat, Sound, Electricity, Magnetism, and Light. The show can be focused on one area to fit curriculum standards or group interests.


The following list gives you an idea of what kinds of demonstrations are included in a Wonders of Physics show. A typical show includes some of these demos, and other demos that are not listed.
 





Motion Demos

What is Motion?

  • Beaker_and_Cloth
  • Bowling_Ball_Pendulum
  • Bicycle_Wheel_Gyroscope
  • CO2_Rocket
  • Momentum_Balls
  • Spinning_Stool/Hand_Weights
  • Water_Pail

    • Heat Demos

    What is Heat?

  • Collapsing_Can
  • Ethanol_Vapor_Explosion
  • Liquid_Nitrogen_Cannon
  • Parabolic Mirrors (also light)

    • Sound Demos

    What is Sound?

  • Oscilloscope
  • Wave Machine
  • Changing Voice

    • Electricity Demos

    What is Electricity?

  • Tesla_Coil
  • Van de Graaff
  • Jacob's_Ladder
  • Human Generator
  • Plasmas

    • Magnetism Demos

    What is Magnetism?

    Light Demos

    What is Light?

  • Prism
  • Diffraction_Grating
  • Lasers
  • Ultra_Violet_Light
  • Parabolic Mirrors 

    • The Grand Finale

  • Exploding_Balloon
  • Liquid_Nitrogen_Cloud

    • We'll go just about anywhere! "Traveling" is our middle name!
    We have visited Portugal, South Africa, Egypt and Japan, in addition to our frequent shows around North America.


    Map of US and Canada

    Red = where we've been
    Yellow = our home state

    In 2005, we made a Grand Tour of Wisconsin!
    We've been to every county in Wisconsin, now our goal is to visit every state.
    If we haven't been to your state, give us a call and we'll try to find a way to get there.

    Check our schedule to see if we'll be in your area!

    Wonders of Physics
    University of Wisconsin Department of Physics
    1150 University Ave
    Madison, WI 53706

    (608) 262-2927
    (608) 262-7205 fax
    wonders@physics.wisc.edu