Light the Match.
4B40.10 • C+65+2
Parabolic mirrors: Light bulb ignites a match. Two metal parabolic mirrors are exactly aligned facing each other, about a meter apart. A 500W bulb is set at the focus of one mirror and a match at the other. As the variac is turned up, the match will begin to smoke, and in about 30 seconds, burst into flames. RADIATION
Video Video of Demo
Usage
Summer 2013 - Spring 2026
78
reservations across 10
classes
Related Demos
C+65+0 Concave mirrors focus candle flame on thermopile across bench. C+65+5 Computer demo: Kirchhoff's radiation law, runs 15 min. C+65+10 Large transformer heats metal strip with chalk marks on it. C+65+15 Crooke's radiometer with flashlight, arc lamp or IR source. C+65+20 Box with white interior appears black from hole in the side. C+65+25 FLIR T200 Infrared camera C+65+30 Blackbody color change as temperature increases C+65+30 Applet: The Greenhouse Effect C+65+35 Applet: Radiating Charge C+65+40 Applet: Blackbody Spectrum C+65+45 Applet: Synchrotron Radiation C+65+50 Applet: Blackbody Radiation C+65+55 Applet: Plank Radiation Formula C+65+60 Applet: Electrodynamics Simulation C+65+65 Applet: Antenna Simulation