We were lucky to go to the Materials Science & Physics departments at Oxford University this week. In one workshop we tested aluminium and dualuminium to their breaking point by slowly increasing the force we applied to them. This taught us a lot about how different materials behave, whilst also using new scientific equipment that we wouldn’t normally have access to at school. We also used optical microscopes to determine which mystery alloys we were presented with. A scanning electron microscope fires electrons that behave like waves to observe finer details of the microstructure of different materials. In our afternoon physics workshop, we explored the scientific method in trying to understand how some physics toys work.
No amount of rain could dampen our spirits on our walk around St Anne’s College. We saw the libraries, gardens, student accommodation and common room before joining the regular lunch slot in the dining hall. The series of workshops and insights into college life culminated with a Q&A with current materials science & physics students. They inspired us to explore new subjects such as materials science and to have more self-confidence – particularly with our academic studies.
Overall, we enjoyed the opportunity to experiment in a way that took us beyond our GCSE course and the taster into undergraduate studies.
Bella, Gabrielle & Cecilia Y10
