The Hairy Science Charles LaTrobe College Mohamed, Daniel, Maryam and Abdullahi

What we believed science was Quotes from each student about what each thought “science is really hard” “scientists are nerdy” “science isn’t fun”

How is this project related to a real world problem? How do the sciences work in an interdisciplinary way to achieve this? Chemistry is the study of chemicals, Physics is the study of matter and motion. Biology is the study of living organisms. All of these topics combined make science. Physics is the fundamental building blocks of our world and what forces act between them. What role does physics play?

Using the laser diffraction equipment, we illuminated light from a laser onto a strand of hair, the light on the other side looked a bit different to what we expected. We learned exactly what was happening to the light on the other side and what was causing that to happen. This is called Diffraction. We saw a diffraction pattern occur when the laser hit the strand of hair.

After that we used a machine that extracts the data from the laser to our computers and we put it onto the graph below using Microsoft Excel. This graph shows the peaks and the effects of the hair on the laser.

We used an AFM ( Atomic Forces Microscopy) to zoom in really close and see the details of the hair. This is a very, very close up picture of Maryam’s hair. A slight vibration, even from talking in a different room can disturb the information the AFM provides. This is a 3D picture of Maryam’s hair. It did not take long for this information to be shown in a graph. If we wanted a higher resolution, we would have to wait for a longer period of time.

The project goal When we know the structure of molecules that cause disease then drugs can be designed to treat the disease. This can have enormous impact on individuals and society. Our goal was to have a deeper understanding of physics and how it is in a university environment.

Why Should We care about the Research here? The research we did may not be useful because of what we were experimenting on, such as a strand of hair. We could move on with these experiments by scanning something that is way smaller, which could help us on things that are bigger.

Am I capable, do I belong? We believe we are capable to carry on with physics and take in the experiments it has for us if we work hard.

What Have We Learnt? Experimental techniques Measures and read data accurately Use different instruments such as Spectrometer Team Work Organization Problem Solving Communication Observation Deeper and more meaningful thinking Science can be fun

What choices have opened up to me In Possible Career Choices? By seeing the connection of what physical scientists do and how they contribute to real world problems and that they can change lives for us and change societies. We never knew the opportunities studying physics opens up to us, there were quiet a bit we already knew such as Engineering, but some surprised us such as; Becoming a doctor, a pharmacist and even becoming a pilot.

How has being part of GTP changed my appreciation for physical science? I find physics a bit more easier and think that it is easy to do and experiment after having proper understanding about what we are doing Science is not all just about specific facts but can actually be fun and exciting Science is a part of everything and everyone It is a subject that can be for anyone Science can be pursued by those who “lack intelligence” as long as persistence and diligence is present Society requires science It is more entertaining than a text book

Acknowledgements The Department of Physics, LTU The Growing Tall Poppies Program Team David Hoxley Eroia Barone-Nugent Hannah Coughlan Paraschos Atsikidis Nickolas Tran Daniel Langley

A big Thank you to everyone that helped us this week