This podcast was created in response to a request by teachers. The idea is to demonstrate things that are important but would be difficult to show in class. These podcast are short (about 1 minute in length) and are designed to be incorporated into a lesson. There is no explanation during on the video which leaves space for teachers to narrate an explanation or use the videos to launch a class discussion. Feel free to use these videos in your lecture slides.
Show Me Some Science: Pumpkin Drop
The LSOP crew had some leftover pumpkins from Halloween 2024, and we wondered if they could survive a drop off of the 3rd floor. Free Fallin' As the pumpkin falls, it speeds up; in physics, we say that the gravitational potential energy is converted in to kinetic energy. When the pumpkin hits the ground, the [...]
Amplify Show Me Some Science: Up in the Air
Here on Earth where Amplify is located, gravity pulls objects down towards the ground. This month, we explore how to keep the objects up in the air. There are a couple of different physics-related phenomena going on here: Buoyancy When the black bag is placed in the sun, air expands and a buoyant force makes [...]
Show Me Some Science: Fog Ring Launchers
These fog ring launchers are drum-shaped with a circular hole on one end. Air is forced out through the hole and travels in a vortex, a spinning doughnut of air. It’s like a little tornado that has wrapped around in a circle. Air in a vortex travels a surprisingly long distance in a straight line. [...]
Show Me Some Science! Drum Crush
A 55 gallon drum is filled with water on the 3rd floor balcony. A hose siphons water to the ground 10 meters (30 feet) below. What happens next will blow your mind! As the water falls down to the ground the pressure decreases, but the hose on the bottom is open to the air and [...]
Show Me Some Science! What Is An Electrical Substation
Every wonder what an electrical power substation is? Brenna, in collaboration with LSOP and 4-H, asks Brent Sydow, the Operations Manager of United Power.
CenturyLink TackleSTEM: Pixels and Data
Check out our first video from our partnership with CenturyLink and the Denver Broncos Tackle STEM. This video is about pixels and data, but with a LSOP twist!
Show Me Some Science! Ferromagnetic Failure
Canadian coins are made of steel, and are attracted to magnets. That is until we break their magnetism!
Show Me Some Science! Beachball Under Pressure
A small hose is filled with a bucket of water, and attached to a beachball, which is lowered off of the 3rd floor balcony. Water continues to fill the ball, leading to explosive results.
Show Me Some Science! Can Crush
Watch the Little Shop of Physics Crew use pressure from gravity to crush a metal can!
Show Me Some Science! Speed Of Sound
The Little Shop of Physics Crew dances disco on the track to show the speed of sounds as it propagates through the air!
Show Me Some Science! Stayin’ Alive
This week we are working on an awesome podcast to show the speed of sound. Check out this quick little teaser to tide you over until we’re done editing.
Show Me Some Science! Energy and Oscillations
Hit a giant water balloon with a baseball bat? Yes, please!
Show Me Some Science! Quantum Levitation
A magnet is placed in the air above a superconductor and it just stays there like magic. But it’s not magic, it’s science. Check out all of the awesome experiments we can do!
Show Me Some Science! Superposition
The Little Shop of Physics team uses a giant water balloon to demonstrate waves!
Show Me Some Science! Energy in Food
Food contains chemical energy that our bodies need to function. One way to measure the amount of energy is to burn the food and see how much thermal energy is released.
Show Me Some Science: Air Power
How many balloons would it take to support a person? How about the wheel of a car? The LSOP puts it to the test!
Show Me Some Science! Catching a Wave
The Little Shop of Physics crew makes waves on giant rolled sheets of spandex!
EveryDay Science: Magnetism Part 4
Brian, Taylor and Bailey explore how magnetize and demagnetize magnetic materials. Then they use this to draw with magnetism!
Show Me Some Science! Magnetic Braking
A magnet is dropped on a cold block of copper and all sorts of awesome science ensues.
Show Me Some Science! Buoyancy
The Little Shop team experiments with putting different objects in different fluids and seeing which float. Helium filled bubbles in the air and granite in mercury metal! Does it float?
Show Me Some Science! Forces and Falling
In this episode, we look at different objects in free fall. When you drop an object from a high height, and it is in the air, there are no forces acting on it other than gravity. This is called free fall. Can objects fall faster than free fall? It turns out an outstretched slinky can, because of the force of the bottom pulling the top down!
Show Me Some Science: Diamagnetic Levitation
A thin piece of graphite levitates above a bunch of magnets!
Show Me Some Science: Balloon Buoyancy
There’s nothing intrinsically “floaty” about helium. You can make a helium balloon that sinks, if it’s cold enough, as we see in this video.
Show Me Some Science! Polarization of the Sky
Bees are capable of remarkable feats of orientation and navigation; they have a very strong sense of direction.
Show Me Some Science! The Greenhouse Effect
We’ve all heard talk about greenhouse gases—the gases in the earth’s atmosphere that help keep the earth warm. What’s so special about these gases that gives them this awesome power?
Show Me Some Science! I’m Looking Through You
In this episode we use near infrared (near-IR) light to look at and through different objects. Near-IR is a kind of light we can’t see that is just beyond the red end of the rainbow. Some things that are opaque to visible light are transparent to infrared, including plastic bags and your skin! However, the blood in your veins absorbs near-IR light and appears dark.
Show Me Some Science! Constructive and Destructive Interference
Waves are one way in which energy can be sent down a string. When two waves meet, they interact.
Show Me Some Science! Air Has Mass
The Little Shop of Physics Crew plays bounce off of a 3.7 meter (approximately 12-foot) beach ball in order to show that air does indeed have mass.
Show Me Some Science! Liquid Oxygen Flaming Pretzels
Liquid oxygen is collected on a pretzel, and when lit it burns like a Roman Candle!
