Smith to present ‘Night of Physics’ at Huntington
FOR RELEASE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Huntington, Ind.-Dr. Gerald D. Smith, Huntington University professor of physics and chemistry, will present a "Night of Physics: Favorite Demonstrations - The Grand Finale" on April 30 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Hiner Hall of the Science Hall at Huntington University. Demonstrations include the Rocket Cart, Bed of Nails, Tablecloth Pull and many more.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
Dr. Gerald D. Smith joined the Huntington University faculty in 1967. His interests in nuclear chemistry and physics took him to the University of Washington for graduate study following completion of his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Huntington, and subsequently to Purdue University where he completed a Ph.D. in radiation physics.
He was active for many years in the Fort Wayne area section of the American Chemical Society for which he edited the section's newsletter and served as section chair. He was recognized as Chemist of the Year in 1982.
Smith served as vice president and dean of Huntington College for 16 years, intermittently teaching physical chemistry and liberal arts physics before returning to full-time teaching in 1998. His evolving interests in cosmology and astrophysics prompted him to erect a radiotelescope on the new Science Hall where he studies galactic rotation. He is engaged in active research on muon decay that retains his interests in nuclear physics.
Smith is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Association of University Professors.
A complete list of demonstrations for the "Night of Physics" is as follows:
Introduction
Hydrogen balloons pop
Sound and Light Waves
Domino string
Standing waves - spring on wall
Slinky waves
Torsion waves
Space phone sound waves
Tuning fork in water
Natural frequencies - bicycle flag, tuning fork
Resonance-tuning fork box, music box, aluminum rod, stove pipe hoot tube
Large mirror reflection hanging in space
Scattering of sunlight - blue skies
Internal reflection of laser beam
Motion
Rocket cart
Superposition of motion - dropping ball vs projected ball
Shooting the monkey out of the tree
Dish pull
Swinging pendulum
Move the Earth
Inclined ramp with rolling balls
Dropping rolls of paper
Pen in bottle
Coin in cup
Rotating bicycle wheel
Rotating platform with weights
Swinging water pail, water glass on plate
Coat hanger blobs of clay
Hot wheels on board
Spool of wire spin
Newton's cradle
Twenty nails on the head of a pin
Balloon thrust
Pushing with fingers
Carts on floor pull
Helicopter spin
Air track collisions and momentum
Track projectile motion
Dropping ball and projected ball
Relativity of length of meter stick
Pressure
Rubber flap on stool
Vacuum expansion of peep and shaving cream
Cartesian diver
Crush pop can and gallon can
Jar of water and screen
Plunger on table
Can holder
Drinking Coke from bottle
Bernoulli's shower curtain
Bernoulli's beach ball on air stream
Umbrella inversion
Bed of nails
Heat
Drinking bird
Liquid nitrogen flower crush, banana
Hot/cold plate melting ice
Burn dollar bill
Burn ethanol vapor bottle
