Welcome to the Lecture Demonstration Program (LDP)
"The best experiments are simple and on a large scale, and their workings are obvious to the audience. The worst experiment is one in which something happens inside a box, and the audience is told that if a pointer moves, the lecturer has very cleverly produced a marvelous effect. Audiences love simple experiments and, strangely enough, it is often the advanced scientist who is most delighted by them." - Michael Faraday
What's New
Over the past year we've been hard at work creating new images, videos and instructions for all of our lecture demonstrations. So far we've created new documentation for about 40 of our more popular demonstrations with new updates being added every week. One example of this improvement is shown below with our demonstration of Emission Spectra:
In addition to improving the documentation of demonstrations in our catalogue we've also added some new demonstrations that we've either created or fixed up for general use again. As an example, watch one of our demos from Oscillations and Waves, 3D40.55 - Glass Breaking with Sound:
Demonstrations
The LDP web site provides a catalog of pictures,videos and graphics of apparatus used to teach Physics at the University of California, Irvine. Demonstrations are classified according to the Physics Instructional Resource Association (PIRA) scheme, and cataloged by topics shown in the sidebar.
Suggestions regarding improvements or additions are welcome. Please direct comments or queries to BJ (with a cc to Ferdi and John).
If you would like to request one of our demos, please read our Ordering Procedures. If you have done it before, you may book that demonstration now by emailing BJ.
Other Classroom Support
Most classrooms and lecture halls have been converted into Smart Classrooms, containing a PC, VHS/DVD deck, and an AMX touch-panel that controls everything from audio-visual resurces to the room lights. For more information and assistance with classroom technology and special audio-visual equipment please visit Classroom Technology Support. For assistance with course development and web-based technologies such as video and podcasting please visit theTeaching, Learning & Technology Center.
