Solar cells http://cnx.org/contents/dd0537a2-fb5d-439d-8feb-bf2e50656dae@1 Semiconductor solar cells In physics lessons we tend to just look at semiconductor solar cells. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell A solar cell (also called a photovoltaic cell) is an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"Making gold and silver nanoparticles I was truly amazed when we were shown the range of colours that silver nanoparticles can produce depending on their size. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2010/jm/c0jm01990a/unauth#divAbstract We were shown pictures of the different colours. I found the above image from the above web link. Each colour is caused by different size silver nanoparticles suspended […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"These activities aimed at finding ways of experiencing the nano world and gaining confidence in using numbers to explain what we can’t see. We have nanodetectors built into our bodies. Our noses are particularly good. We can smell something such as dilute perfume without actually seeing it. To prove this we were given some scented […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"Carbon and making a model Buckyball Introduction Studying material science allows new products to be made with greater efficiency and lower costs. The choice of material for a new product depends on the function of the new product and how its properties will enhance the product. A famous example is reinforced concrete. Concrete itself is […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"An introduction to nanoscience and nanotechnology What is a nanoparticle? A nanoparticle is a particle between 1 and 100 nanometres in size. In nanotechnology, a particle is defined as a small object that behaves as a whole unit with respect to its transport and properties. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle Nanoparticles have been around a long time having first […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"Begbroke Science Park The day’s activities took place at Begbroke Science Park and they were brilliantly coordinated by Dr Vanessa Cheel and Dr Christiane Norenberg. If you are an interested teacher they are running the course again in 2015: 5 March 2015 & 15 July 2015 I can thoroughly recommend this course whatever your specialism […]
Read more "Begbroke Nano Teachers’ Day"The Role of Physics in Nuclear Medicine Dr Laura Harkness-Brennan University of Liverpool http://ns.ph.liv.ac.uk/imaging-group/group-members/laura-harkness.php Medical Imaging Creating images of inside the body Used in a non-invasive way to diagnose structural and biological problems There are various established techniques used in hospitals • Radiography • MRI • Ultrasound • Nuclear imaging • Physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, […]
Read more "Teachers Day at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 2014"Tour of ISIS http://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIS_neutron_source Scott Lawrie, who is involved in research using ISIS, kindly, took us around. The reason for the microphone was because the noise made it. This is what he had to say about his job at ISIS: I work for the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) on the ISIS […]
Read more "Teachers Day at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 2014"Nuclear Energy – The Facts Behind The Fuss John Roberts School of Physics & Astronomy The University of Manchester Nuclear Energy http://www.edfenergy.com/energy/power-stations/sizewell-b http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sizewell_nuclear_power_stations Sizewell B is a nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast. It is the UK’s only Pressurised Water Reactor. Its construction began in 1988 and it started generating electricity in 1995.It is […]
Read more "Teachers Day at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 2014"Cloud Chambers and Cool Dry Ice A workshop overseen by Gary Williams at the IOP http://iopscience.iop.org/0031-9120/page/Gary%20Williams%20interview In this workshop we had a go at making a large cloud chamber and looked at safe radioactive sources. We were given information on obtaining and using dry ice. About dry ice Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide which […]
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