Disappearing Beaker – 6A40.30

- A large beaker is filled half-way with ordinary vegetable oil.
- A small beaker is slowly lowered into the oil.
- The beaker will “disappear” as it is lowered.
- This is due to the fact that Pyrex and vegetable oil have the same index of refraction.

Location: Jacobs B122 

Disappearing Ball in a Beaker - 6A40.31

- A beaker is filled half-way with water.
- A gel ball is lowered in the beaker. The gel balls come in very small sizes.  They are soaked in water for 24 hours before they are used.
- The ball will "disappear" in the water.

Location: Jacobs B122 - Shelf 264

Video:

Optical Properties of a Submerged Light Bulb - 6A40.40

- Submerge a 60 W frosted light bulb in a beaker filled with water.
- The frosted part becomes smaller and the glass envelope becomes much larger.
- The coating allows the inner glass surface to have total internal reflection.

Location: Jacobs B122  - Shelf 275