Experimental Physics workshop

Soumya Mishra and Shrey Gogia of class XII-A attended an Experimental Physics Workshop on 29 March 2019 at Birla Vidya Niketan. They were accompanied by Ms Archana Raichandani, PGT Physics, to the event jointly organised by Birla Vidya Niketan and the Indian Association of Physics Teachers. The workshop saw participation of students and teachers of about 16 prominent schools of Delhi.

The session was conducted by Dr Sarmistha Sahu, Professor, Department of Physics, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women. Under her tutelage, students performed two experiments.

The first was an investigatory experiment in which the students were required to find the number of slits on a given slide by passing a laser beam through it and performing calculations on the pattern obtained on the screen. The experiment was based on the concept of diffraction and interference. When passing through the slits, light waves diffract, i.e. bend around the edges and then superimpose on each other to form an interference and diffraction pattern. Such techniques are used by scientists to investigate the properties and structure of minute particles and crystals.

The second activity aimed at verifying the relation between the various decay constants of radioactive elements. Since radioactive elements break down over a period of time to form simpler atoms, the decay constant establishes a relationship between this and the amount of decay per unit matter. The aim of the experiment was to verify a specific relation between various types of such constants. This was done by throwing a large number of dices multiple times to establish a relation between the fractions of matter decayed and time. Further calculations led to achieving the desired result.

The workshop was a great opportunity for the students to gain exposure to a higher level of experimentation techniques. They were accorded an opportunity to interact with Prof Shahu during the tea break and seek valuable career advice from her. Her insistence on mastering fundamental concepts of physics and basic experiments, motivated the students to work hard and achieve better results.

The short but intensive course proved to be an enriching and informative experience for all the stakeholders as it invigorated and revitalised the teaching-learning process.