The Haunted Physics Lab

Contents

• BODY OF ARTICLE
• History
• Physics, Halloween, and Magic
• A Peek Inside
• Basics for a Successful Haunted Lab
• Combining with Other Sciences
• World Year of Physics 2005
• Acknowledgments
• REFERENCES
• About the Author
• FIGURES

During the Halloween season at Creighton University, our students and the public are treated to a haunted physics laboratory. Visitors to the lab learn physics while having fun as they are confronted with a maze of exhibits that demonstrate optical, electrical, and mechanical phenomena in the context of Halloween.

The inspiration for the Haunted Physics Lab came over 20 years ago while I was teaching a core-curriculum course on light and color at Creighton University. Many of the student activities required subdued lighting. When one of the sessions fell on Oct. 31, I thought it would be fun to decorate the darkened room as a haunted laboratory and use Halloween as a contextual theme for the day's activities. It worked! The students loved it, and the Haunted Physics Lab was born. It's been a permanent feature of the light and color course ever since.¹

In more recent years "Dr. Zepf's Haunted Physics Laboratory" has grown to become a popular Halloween event on the Creighton University campus. It consists now of some 30 exhibits demonstrating a wide range of phenomena, all inviting interaction. Physical principles are elucidated, often by generating cognitive dissonance. With its atmosphere of mystery and magic, the haunted lab appeals to people of all ages and interests—children and adults, from elementary school to college students and beyond.

Physics, Halloween, and magic have something in common: each appeals to our fascination with mystery. As Einstein once said, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is mystery. It stands at the cradle of all true art and true science."

But the commonality of the three ends there. The Halloween celebration is a frightful, irrational confrontation with mystery, whereas in physics we embrace the mysteries of the universe. We confront them rationally. We welcome the challenge to solve them. Furthermore, unlike the fanciful magic of mythical wizards, we have real "magic" at our disposal. It's our ability to comprehend the world—to understand how things behave. This understanding, which we gain through science, enables us to predict outcomes and exert a measure of control over nature. It makes the scientist a kind of modern-day magician.

The Haunted Physics Laboratory, with its mix of Halloween, theatrical magic, and physics, offers a unique opportunity for understanding physical phenomena and the difference between science and pseudoscience. It's a contextual theme for teaching physics that's too good to pass up.

As visitors approach the Haunted Physics Laboratory, they are greeted by a larger-than-life photo of Albert Einstein and an invitation to "come in for a spell." They hear music emanating from inside ("Phantom of the Opera," for example). After picking up a copy of the Haunted Laboratory Guide, they bravely enter.²

One of the exhibits that visitors encounter inside is the "Ghostly Light," which most readers would recognize as a standard spherical mirror demonstration, dressed up for Halloween. A working flicker-type light bulb is hidden in a black box, upside down, directly below an empty light socket located on top of the box. The box, open on the side facing the mirror, is precisely aligned in the region of the mirror's center of curvature so that a real image of the light bulb is formed above the empty socket. Partitions are arranged to restrict the vantage-point of approaching visitors. As they come closer and walk around to the side of the setup, the light bulb disappears. Here's what the Haunted Laboratory Guide says about this exhibit:

Ghostly Light

The light bulb you see is an image formed by a concave mirror.

— Is the image real or virtual? (Real images formed by a single mirror appear in front of the mirror. Virtual images formed by a single mirror appear behind the mirror.)

— To check your answer, hold a sheet of paper upright at the site of the image. If the image is real, you should see it on the paper. Do you see it?

— Where is the real light bulb located?

— You should be able to find a ray diagram nearby that explains the setup.

Moving on, the haunted lab would hardly be complete without some frightful electrical devices. For example, visitors ponder what causes the climbing spark to rise as they eye the DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE sign of "Jacob's Ladder," and they have a truly "Shocking Experience" learning how to bring a dead bat back to life³ using a Van de Graaff generator (Fig. 1).

Figure 1.

A surprisingly popular exhibit asks visitors to "Conjure Up a Ghost or Two" at an optical bench. The object for image formation is an illuminated picture of a ghost. Here's what the laboratory guide says:

Conjure Up a Ghost or Two

— There are two positions of the convex lens that produce a sharp image of the ghost on the screen. One position produces a diminished (small)image. The other position produces a magnified (large) image. Can you find them? Hint: The large image occurs when the lens is somewhere far from the screen. The small image occurs when the lens is much closer to the screen.

— Are the images real or virtual? Are they upright or inverted?

— The same convex lens can produce yet a third image. This one is not on the screen. Can you find it? Is it real or virtual? Is it upright or inverted?

An exhibit called "Wizard's Wand Power" makes good use of an antique demonstration meter and a bar magnet painted black with white tips to look like a magic wand. The Haunted Laboratory Guide says:

Wizard's Wand Power

This demonstrates electromagnetic induction, a discovery by "electrical wizard" Michael Faraday in 1831. Commercial power plants use Faraday's discovery to generate ac (alternating current) electricity.

— Move the wand (actually a permanent magnet) back and forth inside the coil of wire. Time the back and forth movement to match the swing rate of the needle. The meter measures the resulting electrical current induced in the circuit. Some of the work you do to produce relative motion between the magnetic field of the magnet and the coil of wire is converted to electrical energy.

— What can this equipment be used to demonstrate?

(a) Law of induction

(b) Conversion of energy from mechanical to electrical

(c) Resonance

(d) Relativity

(e) All of the above.

Can you explain why the answer is (e)?

As they continue to work their way through the lab, visitors soon discover that the haunting music they have been hearing comes from exhibits that encourage them to "Create a Laser Light Show" (using lasers and diffraction gratings) and enjoy "Seeing Music with a Color Organ."⁴

There are mechanical exhibits in the haunted lab as well. "Apple Acrobatics" is an all-time favorite (Fig. 2). Two apples suspended from strings and linked by a rubber band can be made to stop on command. Knowing that the apples' energy is transferred back and forth allows the operator to predict when each apple will stop. It's a beautiful illustration of one of the driving motivations of science: to learn how things behave in order to be able to predict future behavior. The laboratory guide says:

Apple Acrobatics

The two apple pendulums are coupled to each other by a rubber band. The pendulums should have the same length.

— Start one apple swinging while holding the second one stationary. Then let the second one go and observe what happens. The efficient transfer of energy back and forth between the two pendulums is a phenomenon called resonance or "sympathetic vibration."

— Resonance only occurs if the pendulums are "in tune "with each other. To be in tune requires that they have the same length and therefore the same natural frequency of oscillation. How would you test this requirement?

Figure 2.

After interacting with these and some 21 other exhibits, it is time now to meet "The Department Head" located in an adjoining room. A box sits on what appears to be a three-legged table. When a door in the front of the box suddenly opens, a live head is seen inside. It talks to the visitors. A glance beneath the table confirms that the body is missing (Fig. 3). "The Department Head" is a recreation of the so-called Sphinx Illusion invented in 1865 by Thomas Tobin, a science lecturer at the Royal Polytechnic Institution.⁵ Two plane mirrors are placed between the legs of the three-legged table to hide the person's body (Fig. 4). When properly arranged, the mirrors reflect light from side curtains to form virtual images that coincide with the back curtain. In Fig. 4 the bottom edges of the mirrors can be seen. However, when the shag carpet is fluffed up to hide the edges of the mirrors and the lights are dimmed, the illusion is stunning. Viewed from the front it appears as though there is nothing under the table.⁶ The expression "it's all done with mirrors" is largely due to this and other mirror illusions invented for stage magicians by Tobin.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

The photos and the brief descriptions given above provide only a small sampling of the 30 exhibits in the Haunted Physics Lab at Creighton University. Detailed information about all of the exhibits is available on a DVD. The video takes viewers on an exhibit-by-exhibit tour while the lab is in session. Another tour, with the room lights turned on, clearly shows the setups and the equipment used at each station. Clips of television news coverage are also included.

To receive a copy of the DVD and the Haunted Laboratory Guide, see Ref. 2 at the end of this paper.

Interactive Exhibits: Simply stated, the Haunted Physics Lab is an interactive science museum with a Halloween theme. Use plenty of Halloween decorations. Build your haunted lab around the demonstration apparatus and laboratory equipment you have available. If it's old and looks like it might have come out of Dr. Frankenstein's lab, so much the better. Substitute Halloween-type items for standard items as much as possible; for example, use a little Dracula or ghost figurine as an object in the "Mirage" for one of the exhibits.

Darkened Room: The ambient light should come from the exhibits. Keep the overhead room lights turned off.

Background Music: Music is essential for a successful haunted lab. Especially good are selections from Chiller by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (for example, their renditions of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Night on Bald Mountain") and from the Fresh Aire series by Mannheim Steamroller. The new Halloween CD by Mannheim Steamroller is very good, but avoid the cheap made-for-Halloween recordings, especially those that overdo ghoulish sound effects.

Haunted Laboratory Guide: Visitors pick up the guide as they enter the lab. It identifies each interactive exhibit with a number corresponding to a prominently displayed number at the exhibit. Visitors are instructed to follow the numbers as they work their way through the maze of exhibits, doing the activities and making the observations for each exhibit suggested in the laboratory guide. When the lab is a class assignment, spaces should be provided in the guide for students to record their responses. They are instructed to sign their laboratory guides and deposit them in a drop box as they exit the lab.

Facilitators: Knowledgeable people should be on hand to answer questions and point out subtleties that might otherwise be missed. For public showings especially, this is an excellent way to get the members of your physics or science club involved. They'll also enjoy helping you set up the lab and learn a lot by doing it.

Avoid Excessive Gore, Mad-Scientist Portrayals, and Juvenile Scare Antics: Unlike the typical "blood and guts" haunted house attractions that are commonplace during the Halloween season, parents should feel comfortable bringing their young children to your haunted laboratory. Make it a mature, "frightfully fun" learning experience for all!

During the past few years the haunted lab has spread to other educational institutions. Those done by Christopher Chiaverina and his colleagues at New Trier and Deerfield High Schools in Illinois are prime examples.⁷ Chris and I joined forces to present a Haunted Lab Workshop at the 2003 AAPT Summer Meeting in Madison, WI.

In their version of the haunted lab, Chris and his colleagues include a fairly large number of optical illusions—psychological, visual perception illusions (as distinct from the physical illusions produced by mirrors, lenses, and holograms). Although optical illusions can be quite effective in a haunted lab setting, I don't use them as exhibits. The reason is partly due to the difficulty I have explaining most optical illusions(!), but mainly it's because I want to stay with exhibits that illustrate principles of physics or, in a few cases, psychophysics such as color mixing and persistence of vision.

In any case, teaming up with teachers in other sciences to create a haunted lab makes good sense, particularly in a high school where space, time, and resources are limited. A science club project involving a team of high school teachers and students from a variety of disciplines, including the fine and performing arts, would be a fun way to create goodwill and enhance the understanding and appreciation of science in your school and community.

Plan on doing a haunted physics lab at your high school, college, or local children's museum during the 2005 Halloween season. With a life-size poster of Albert Einstein greeting visitors at the entrance, you'll have an exciting school or public outreach project to celebrate the World Year of Physics 2005! Happy Haunting!

I would like to note with gratitude the encouragement I received from Christopher Chiaverina to write this article. Thank you, Chris! I am also indebted to the many students, faculty, and staff at Creighton University who have contributed to the success of the Haunted Physics Lab over the years.

References

1. Thomas H. Zepf, "The haunted laboratory as a theme for hands-on activities in light and color," AAPT Annual Meeting (Winter 1993). first citation in article
   
2. For a DVD video (NTSC)about the Haunted Physics Lab and a copy of the Haunted Laboratory Guide, send your name and address along with $10.00 to help cover the cost of materials and postage to: Thomas H. Zepf, Dept. of Physics, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178. Requests for the DVD will be accepted through June 30, 2005. first citation in article
   
3. James G. Ellingson, "A Frankenstein demonstration with the Van de Graaff generator," Phys. Teach. 41, 446 (Oct. 1988). first citation in article
   
4. A three-channel color organ drives red, green, and blue spotlights in response to the music described above. The lights are aimed to overlap on a projection screen or a bare white wall. In addition to demonstrating color mixing, a well-chosen location can enhance the ambient lighting of the room. It also provides a rationale for the music. Sources for inexpensive color organs and color organ kits can be found on the Internet. Use "color organ" and/or "light organ" as search words. first citation in article
   
5. Jim Steinmeyer, Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear (Carroll & Graf, New York, 2003). first citation in article
   
6. In reality, of course, the person playing the role of the "head" is sitting on a stool under the table with her head sticking up through holes in the tabletop and bottom of the box. Strings attached to the door of the box and running through small holes in the tabletop allow the "head" to open and close the door at will. With the door slightly ajar, a mirror placed on the table enables the "head" to see approaching visitors so she can open the door in a timely fashion to greet them! first citation in article
   
7. Christopher J. Chiaverina, "The New Trier Connection's project: Using science exhibits as instruments of inquiry," AAPT Annual Meeting (Winter 2002). first citation in article
   

1. “Did you say 50% of my grade?” — Teaching Introductory Physics to Non-Science Majors Through a Haunted Physics Lab
   Nancy Donaldson, Phys. Teach. 48, 14 (2010)

Thomas H. Zepf is a professor emeritus of physics at Creighton University where he chaired the physics department for 23 years. He is a recipient of the university's Distinguished Faculty Service Award and the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching. In recent years he has been presenting workshops at AAPT Meetings on "Teaching Physics with Magic" (with J. David Wall) and on the "Haunted Physics Lab" (with Christopher Chiaverina). Currently he serves as a member of the AAPT Committee on Science Education for the Public. He earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Xavier University in Cincinnati and his master's and doctoral degrees in physics from Saint Louis University. His research is in surface physics and laser optics.Department of Physics, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178; thzepf@creighton.edu

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Fig. 1. At an exhibit called "A Shocking Experience," the author is working as a facilitator, showing visitors the proper method for bringing a "dead bat" back to life. They also learn how to enliven aluminum pie pans. (photo by Ted Fogarty) First citation in article

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Fig. 2. Apples provide the masses for coupled harmonic oscillators in this "Apple Acrobatics" exhibit. First citation in article

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Fig. 3. Jo Conrad is entertaining visitors and answering questions as "The Department Head": "Is your body covered by an invisibility cloak?" First citation in article

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Fig. 4. The setup for "The Department Head" is shown here with the room lights turned on. The bottom edges of the two mirrors are clearly visible in this picture. Normally the shag carpet is fluffed up along the mirror edges to mask them. First citation in article

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