Looking for a way to get your class excited about mathematics? Want to make the difference between simple harmonic motion and oscillatory motion clear? Want to convince your students that symmetry breaking really happens? Have an idea for a demonstration you always wanted to try? One function of the MEC Lab is to provide such demonstrations and to provide the means for faculty in mathematics to try out their own ideas. These demo's can also serve as the basis for an independent study course or an honor's supplement. On this page you'll find photo's and brief descriptions of some of the demo's we have set up. Most of these can be borrowed and taken directly into the classroom. Let me know if you'd like to try one out! Also, let me know if you have an idea for a demo, or better yet, come on down and build one!

 

 

	Yes, that is a fluid, a ferrofluid to be exact. Ferrofluids can be manipulated by magnetic fields and thin layers of such fluids exhibit an instability with hexagonal patterns similar to Rayleigh-Bernard convection. Applications of ferrofluids are growing with the development of microfluidics.			Do your students believe them when you claim a symmetric boundary value problem can have asymmetric solutions? Mine neither. Come try out our "bundt pan" experiment due to Katerina Rhode.
	Hmmm...that's just a piece of copper pipe. True, but drop one of our rare earth magnets through the pipe and you have a stunning demonstration of Lenz's Law!			Who's that? It's pendulum man! Ok, it's hard to do measurements on this guy, but the action of the coupled pendula is amazing to watch.
	Here's a magnetic pendulum, chaos anyone?			Here's a catenoid produced by Stephanie Maryon and Chrissie Vicker for a Math 341 project. This one is easy to do!
	The hanging chain, a classic. Undergrad's can do the basic problem (left), while the obstacle problem on the right is challenging for a grad student!			Here's a pendulum where data is output right to the computer.
	Want to illustrate potential theory? With this conductive paper you draw boundaries, apply voltages, and measure the solution to Laplace's equation!