Secondary school students visit nuclear physics laboratory
"12th grade physics students visited FCUL's Nuclear Physics Laboratory, where they took part in experimental demonstrations led by LIP/FCUL researchers"
On May 15, a class of sixteen 12th grade physics students from Escola Secundária de Camões, in Lisbon, visited the Nuclear Physics and Radiation Laboratory of the Physics Department of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (DF of FCUL), accompanied by teacher Conceição Pimenta.
During the visit, the students had the opportunity to watch various experimental demonstrations, including: the use of a muon telescope, the determination of the elemental composition of samples by X-ray fluorescence, the determination of the half-life period of a radioactive element and the observation of photon spectra from natural radioactive sources (uranium ores). The students were able to see and hear the theoretical explanations associated with each demonstration.
This direct contact with experimental physics gave the students a practical and enriching perspective on the fundamental concepts of nuclear physics, complementing the theoretical learning acquired in class.
Researchers from the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics (LIP/FCUL), Luís Peralta and Carolina Felgueiras, together with trainee student Marinela Nunes, led the demonstrations and provided detailed explanations, providing an active and engaging learning environment.