The L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum is located on the second floor of Chamberlin Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. It is one of several museums on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus that focus on hands-on exhibits and public outreach. The museum runs on donations and charges no admission.
History The museum was established in 1918 by Professor Snow and the museum's namesake, Leonard Rose Ingersoll (1880-1958), who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. L.R. Ingersoll began advocating for the museum in 1917 and it became the first museum in the United States to focus solely on physics. Ingersoll wanted to create a museum that was accessible to young audiences. Since then, exhibits have continued to be designed by University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty and added to the museum.
Exhibits The L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum displays more than 70 interactive exhibits that cross several categories of Physics concepts.
A few exhibits include:
Mechanics Gravity Pit - demonstrates the concept of a gravity well with a hyperbolic funnel wishing well. Newton's Cradle Pulleys Spinning Platform Gyroscope Foucault Pendulum Torsion Pendulum Unequal Arm Balance Coupled Pendulums
Electricity and Magnetism AC - DC Generators Series and parallel circuits puzzle Circle of Magnetism Dynamo 1 and 2 Induced Currents - Eddy Currents Lenz's Law The Magnetic Field - Lines of Force The Rotating Copper Disk Rotating Pepsi Can Helmholtz Coils Electrons Beam
Light and Optics Additive Color Mixing Subtractive Color Mixing Color of an Object Light and Atomic Spectra Mystery Window The Radiometer Polarized Light Light Waves Telescope Convex, Plane & Concave Mirrors As Others See You Your Profiles Infinite Reflections Real Image
Wave and Sound Transverse Waves Sound Pipes
Modern Physics Plasma Tube Cosmic Rays Spirograph Probability Board
Computer Demonstrations Chaos Demonstration Lissajous Curve Demonstration Your Voice
References
External links
L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum website