The demonstrations have been assembled with the idea of simplicity in mind. Therefore, when ever possible, the demonstrations consist of a single main unit with accessories that have been designed to make the demonstrations clear to see and easy to set up. The descriptions of the demonstrations consist of a brief statement of the uses of the demonstration, a list of the equipment needed, suggestions for the successful performance of the demonstration, and precautions for the safe use of the equipment. It is asked that these safety precautions be taken. Demonstrations may be requested by submitting request forms that are available in Elliott 070 or in the Department general office. All requests for demonstrations should be made at least 24 hours in advance of their intended use. In addition, the requester should thoroughly familiarize himself with the proper functioning of the demonstration apparatus before using it in the lecture room. Finally, any demonstration equipment needed for off-campus use should be requested well in advance of the date of its intended usage to avoid possible conflicts, and all such equipment should be signed out in the book attached to the door of Elliott 070.
The audio-visual materials held by the Department are available upon request in a manner identical to the physics demonstrations. Audio-visual materials held by the Film Centre or another department on campus usually require a requisition to be submitted to the Film Centre. A minimum of one week is needed to process such a requisition in order to guarantee that the requested materials are available. In addition, it should be remembered that virtually all audio-visual materials are protected by copyright, and their usage should be confined to instructional purposes only.
A principal feature of the design of this resource catalogue is the ease with which it may be modified and upgraded. When new demonstrations and audio-visual materials are acquired by the Department and modifications are made to the existing holdings, replacement pages reflecting these changes will be supplied. Furthermore, complementing the information contained within this catalogue are more extensive descriptions contained within the Detailed Descriptions of Some Physics Teaching Resources catalogue, which can be found in Elliott 070 on the Physics Teaching Resources Shelf. This shelf has been created as a repository for books, catalogues, pamphlets, brochures, etc., that may be useful for the development of physics demonstrations or the acquisition of audio-visual materials. All members of the Physics Department are encouraged to use these materials and to supplement them with additional information which they may possess. Finally, all comments, suggestions, and ideas for improvement of the physics demonstrations or of the contents of this catalogue are greatly appreciated.