Courses: P1, P4, P14, P19, Astr1, Astr2, Astr3
Mouse traps are set up with ping pong balls. If placed close together, critical mass is demonstrated: a single ball thrown into the mass initiates a chain reaction. If placed farther apart, numerous ping pong balls can be thrown into the pile, often tripping none of the traps, and sometimes tripping one or two -- but never creating a chain reaction.
Setup: Generally this is set up on a plywood board on a rolling cart, and only in the critical case. Sometimes a few traps are set up on the lecture bench to demonstrate the non-critical case (but be careful one of those doesn't set off the whole set on the cart!).
Traps should be set up facing opposite directions, in pairs. Each pair of traps alternates 90 degrees. The ping pong balls should be set so that they're pushing the triggers closed -- it's enough of a hair trigger without the balls trying to push them open!
Equipment:
- Mouse traps
- Ping pong balls
- Rolling cart
- Plywood board cut to cover cart top