UM Astronomy Resources: Demonstrations

What follows is a list of teaching resources for use in department classes. (They are not for sale!)

Room 0252

Resource Type Query
Title/Name Description
Magnetic Field Lines Demo(1) Plastic, fluid filled container with iron fillings in suspension allows you to slip cylindrical magnets into hole in center and see the resulting magnetic field lines. Magnetics are included in box
Bar magnets (2) two sets of two bar magnets each.
Compasses 12 small plastic compasses; room 1109A
Donut magnet set 2 poles and six donut magnets. Magnets can be made to "float" one above another.
2D magnetic field demo Transparent case with suspended iron filling
Miscellaneous Magnet Bar magnet in plastic case and small magnetic pieces
Magnifying glasses 6 magnifying glass sets plus spare parts.
Reflectance Spectrometer Reflectance Spectrometer that gives data number readings of any list surface - no calibration has yet been done. A binder of activities to do with spectrometer is next to it on the shelf.
Spectrum Cards 1 cards with small diffraction grating and spectra for many different lamp types on card. Allows for identification of lamp types by spectra
Spectrum Overhead Projector kits Large diffraction grating that can be attached to an overhead projector to project a spectrum on the wall.
Diffraction Gratings, Boxed 1 boxes of 10 slide sized and mounted diffraction gratings.
Diffraction gratings, envelope Envelope of diffraction gratings of various sizes
Diffraction gratings glasses 14 Glasses
Prism, plastic triangle plastic, triangle prism about 5 inches long.
light source stand 2 Light bulbs in stands
Light socket w/clamp light socket with a clamp attachment for use in classroom demos
3D Glasses Circa 50
solar motion demonstration Two boxes of 10 cardboard tools to demonstrate solar motion. Instructions included in one of the boxes
meter sticks Circa 50 metal and wooden meter sticks; in room 1109A
Galileo kit kit for making telescope
Mars globes 2 - one large, one small, 1 blow up
Venus globe  
Earth globes 2 large textured, 1 small, 1 transparent planetarium earth globe
Constellation spheres 4 globes showing constellations - solid spheres - not like traditional celestial spheres.
Slate Globes Two globes that can be written on with chalk
Mini celestial sphere 2 "earth space simulator" discussing ecliptic etc
Hoberman sphere Unfolds to triple diameter
Styrofoam balls Assorted sizes, presumably for use in solar system scale demonstrations
Orrery Metal in box
Planetarium projectors 3 small battery operated planetarium projectors, one comes with audio tape.
One larger one that may or may not be operational.
Star type scale comparisons Different sized balls to show sun, white dwarf, neutron star, etc
Solar system scale comparisons Different sized balls to show relative planet sizes
Refracting Telescope 2 one inch refracting telescope kits
AstroBlaster 3 astroblaster sets - set of rubber balls that can be placed on a stick and demonstrate the additive effects of collisions to simulate a super nova.
Density demos 3 objects of same volume but vastly different weight.
Small metal bars of different materials.
Wave Demo Big slinky and small slinky
Doppler Balls 3 yellow balls with string and internal buzzer
Fossil boxes 8 box sets by different periods
3 box sets by era
Miscellaneous Fossils 6 Fossils in mini cabinet
Rock sets 1 rock sets - Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic, and varied by %.
Meteorites Collection of small meteorites, individually labeled, in mini cabinet
Salt Water Demo Beakers, distilled water, crystal salt, and long thermo (250 degree celsius)
Rectangular filters Large red, blue and green rectangular filters sheets
Michelson Morley Apparatus Microwaves demonstration of this famous experiment; in box
Kinetic energy kit strike metal balls together to burn hole in paper
Newtonian demonstrator Newtons third law and conservation of momentum, 5 steel balls suspended from strings
Angular momentum apparatus Long rod with slidable masses
Inertia demonstrator Glass balls and platform kit
Density blocks Set of 10 one inch cubes of different materials
Equal mass set 5 cylinders of same mass and different lengths
Planetary differentiation demonstration 2 Bottles filled with different density liquids