L. R. Ingersoll Physics Museum

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.^[1] Since then, exhibits have continued to be designed by University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty and added to the museum.^[2]

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