Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations (Paperback)

~ (Author) "By dropping balls of different sizes from the same height, you can show that they fall together, unless one has an extremely low density or..." (more)
Key Phrases: unfrosted light bulb, circle transparencies, second law for rotation, Super Ball, Equipment Two, Radio Shack (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

". . . dipping into this collection is much like opening a holiday gift and discovering a marvelous little toy that then holds your attention by some curious performance. . . . This book precisely reflects the way science education should be, especially at the introductory level." --From the foreword

Here is a collection of physics demonstrations costing very little to produce yet illustrating key concepts in amazingly simple and playful ways. Intended for instructors, students, and curious lay readers, these demonstrations make use of easily accessible, everyday items: food coloring and glycerine swirled and then "unmixed" in a container demonstrate aspects of the entropy law; raw eggs thrown with full force at a sheet but not breaking illustrate Newton's second law (f=ma); and the reflection off a glass Christmas tree ball is the focus of an explanation on "turning the world inside out." Many of the demonstrations are either new or include innovative twists on old ideas, as in the author's simplified version of the classic "Monkey and Hunter" problem, which substitutes "diluted gravity" on an inclined plane for large apparatus. Each demonstration outlines the objective, the equipment needed, and the procedure, including, in many instances, ways for a teacher to perform the demonstration on an overhead projector. Throughout the book concrete examples are accompanied by enough theoretical background to enhance a reader's basic understanding of physical principles. Lab instructors will find that demonstrations containing a quantitative component work well as mini- experiments and as ways to illustrate the results of calculations. These diverse and flexible demonstrations will serve a wide range of educational levels, from middle school physical science to university physics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (January 18, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691023956
• ISBN-13: 978-0691023953
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #448,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as its title, December 29, 1999

By	Muhsin Ogretme (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I saw the title of the book, I thought it would be a good aid for me in my highschool physics teachings. Some of the demos are not explained in detail, and it is hard to find (at least for me)some materials that are listed by the author for the demo. However, the ideas have been serving as the starting points for me, after some modifications (and spending a few minutes to understand the setting) I could use them in my class. Alright, it is not a tough job, even may be helpfull, but be aware of the fact that you might find some demos hard to implement.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great detailed demos, December 15, 2001

By	cory m "scienceguy2" (Pomfret Center, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This is definetely the best Ehrlich book I've read. The demos are great because he puts alot of thought into making them classroom friendly (there's alot using overhead projectors)and detailed. Most of the details should only be used with high school level and up, but most of the experiments are good anyways. He uses sound, detailed physics - not the vague or sometimes incorrect explanations you find in the lower budget books. There's also a great organization scheme that makes everything easy to find and indicates which experiments are appropriate for certain situations.