Re: Flashlight Bulbs

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

One problem with the light strings is that the students can't see the
innards as well as with a #14 bulb.  I use the Radio Shack sockets because
they have openings which allow the students to see all of the connections.
If you use the Workshop physics labs, it is wise to try to match the
drawings as closely as possible.  The other difficulty is that you can not
easily unscrew the bulbs as per some instructions.  If a bulb blows out, it
has a shorting device which can confuse students.  While cost is a
consideration, the pennies saved do not pay for Pasco low friction carts,
motion detectors ...

The light strings have some other good properties which can be exploited.
By putting 3 of them with different colors in a triangle on a card, you have
a good light source for imaging by lenses or mirrors.  The colors make the
inverted image easy to perceive.  You also avoid the fire hazard of the
traditional candles.  Students sometimes have trouble seeing that the candle
flame image is inverted.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> Drag out a box or two of your Winter Solstice light strings.
> Cut one up for testing.
>
> Most are rated at about 3 volts.
>
> You can't beat the price (a few cents each - and that includes
> the SOCKET!)
>
>
>
> At  7:00 PM -0600  on  4/4/02,  John Clement   wrote
> > Workshop physics recommends using standard #14 bulbs.  The ones
> from Radio
> > Shack work just fine.  The trick is to make sure you buy all the
> same type
> > of bulb, and some types are to be avoided.
> >
> > John M. Clement
> > Houston, TX
> >
> > >  I recently got some bulbs from Radia Shack, the kind that
> have the lens
> > >  built in, and had a problem when doing the bulbs and
> batteries lab...I'm
> > >  in the midst of things and at my age can't recall what it was.  I had
> > >  much better luck with bulbs I recall buying from NASCO.
> > >
> > >  cheers,
> > >
> > >  joe
> > >
> > >  On Thu, 4 Apr 2002,
> > >  Tina Fanetti wrote:
> > >
> > >  > Radio Shack?
> > >  >
> > >  > Tina
> > >  >
> > >  > Tina Fanetti
> > >  > Physics Instructor
> > >  > Western Iowa Technical Community College
> > >  > 4647 Stone Ave
> > >  > Sioux City IA 51102
> > >  > 712-274-8733 ext 1429
> > >  >
> > >
> > >  Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               219-284-4662
> > >  Associate Professor of Physics
> > >  Saint Mary's College
> > >  Notre Dame, IN 46556
>
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