WPL 1.03 Physical Sciences laboratory / WPL 1.04 Physics Optics laboratory

Overview

Our Physical Sciences laboratory has been specially designed to enable the exploration of the fundamentals of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum phenomena, waves, solid state and thermal physics.

The adjoining Physics Optics laboratory is designed for allowing the practical examination of the underlying physics of many everyday phenomena, including the study of optics and the behaviour of light, electromagnetism, thermodynamics and mechanics.

Join our students for a tour of our physics facilities in STEMLab

These labs are primarily used for the teaching of courses in Physics, including Foundation Year Physics. The lab would also be used by Natural Sciences students taking the Physics pathway. In these labs you can learn about:

Optics
Mechanics
Electronics
Ionising Radiation
X-Ray Diffraction
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Through access to a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment, students can use these two laboratories to further their understanding of physics, while developing experimental techniques and programming knowledge. Examples of activities students might engage with in physics include:

Analysis of crystal structure of materials, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) is an analytical technique to determine the structure of materials. Students are given an introduction to XRD techniques; learning to calibrate, take data and analyse the properties of crystalline materials.
The design and construction of experimental instrumentation using Arduino. Arduino compatible microcontrollers are flexible computers that can interface with a range of sensors, such as accelerometers, light sensors, temperature sensors etc. Students are taught how to program using the Arduino language and design and build their own instruments to probe different areas of physics (for example building their own polarimeter equipment).