The well-known experiment of the rapid expansion and cooling of the air contained in a bottle is performed with a rapidly responsive, yet very cheap thermometer. The adiabatic, low temperature limit is approached quite closely and measured with our apparatus. A straightforward theoretical model for this process is also presented and discussed.…

We discuss three methods of measuring the density of air most commonly used in a teaching context. Emphasis is put on the advantages and/or difficulties of each method. In particular, we show that the 'rubber balloon' method can still be performed with meaningful physical insight, but it requires a very careful approach. (Contains 4 figures and 3…

As is well known, scientific entertainment can be a fruitful way to attract people of any age to science. Depending on the specific purpose, different mixtures of science and amusement can be considered, so emphasizing scientific education with respect to fun aspects or vice versa. Moreover, when proposing "hands-on" activities in such learning…

A simple experiment is presented to visualize inferior and superior mirages in the laboratory. A quantitative analysis is done using ray tracing with both photographic and computational techniques. The mirage's image, as seen by the eye or the camera lens, can be used to analyse the deflection and inversion of light rays. (Contains 6 footnotes, 1…

We discuss some simple experiments dealing with intriguing properties of light and its interaction with matter. In particular, we show how to emphasize that light reflection, refraction and scattering can provide a proper, physical description of human perception of the "colour" white. These experiments can be used in the classroom with an enquiry…