Cambridge Colleges Physics Experience

On the 9th of May, 10 students from Year 9 (accompanied by Mr Jones and Mr Mohsin) headed to Cambridge University for a ‘Physics Experience’. We had a tour of part of the University and one of their Colleges, which is a bit like a Hall of residence. A presentation, two lectures and a practical science investigation involving light were all crammed into one day!

The day started bright and early; we had to be at school by 7:00. We left school once everyone had arrived, which was about 7:10, and arrived at Newnham College at about 9:20. The façade of the College was beautiful, the whole wall being covered with ivy. It really seemed like the extensive history of the University was written in the City itself. The University Colleges and Departments were dotted all over the place, which is why it seemed like every student needs a bike!

Inside the College was everything a student would need, from a bedroom to a canteen which served meals 3 times a day. We developed a feel for University life, silently walking down the corridors because there were examinations taking place, and seeing students’ books piled 5-10 high with a laptop in front of them. The College has its own library with thousands of books, and it also has a lovely garden where you could either study or enjoy a nice peaceful walk.

We had a presentation in Clare College about how the University education system works. It was very informative and made us look forward to University education even more. The presentation also told us about what a university looks for in a person. It’s not just the grades they are looking for, but also the potential in a person. We had our lunch here too, before setting off for the Physics Department.

Here, at the Cavendish Laboratory, we had two short lectures about light. The first was about what type of wave light is, and about other electromagnetic waves too. The second was on how astronomers create images of space when visible light is too faint to see clearly. These two lectures were separated by a few practicals about refraction of light, making a telescope and finding the focal length of a lens.

Then we left the University of Cambridge and arrived back at school at 18:45 after a great Physics day out!

Caleb Brown