Local Physics Teachers Will Present A Shocking Demonstration At Aptos High School On Friday, July 21

SANTA CRUZ, CA–Local physics teachers plan to make the last day of summer school memorable with an electrifying presentation they developed with researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The teachers will demonstrate the physics of electricity using a suit of armor and a machine that throws four-foot bolts of lightning.

The presentation, which is free and open to the general public, will take place on Friday, July 21, at 9 a.m. in the Music Room at Aptos High School, located at 7301 Freedom Blvd. in Aptos.

The presentation was developed by teachers participating in a summer research program at the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at UCSC. Starring in the show is a machine called a Tesla coil capable of throwing four-foot bolts of electricity. The Tesla coil is used in an impressive set of demonstrations designed to help students understand the nature of electricity.

The show will conclude with the teachers donning a suit of armor and allowing giant sparks to strike them. While this demonstration is completely safe, it looks like something out of a science fiction movie and is sure to grab the attention of students.

The Tesla coil and armor are part of a traveling show developed by the teachers and UCSC professors to get students interested in science and higher education. The teachers are participants in an ongoing program at SCIPP called Research Experience for Teachers. The eight-week summer program gives high school teachers hands-on research experience in a high-energy physics lab, introducing them to exciting material that they can draw on when they return to their classrooms.