1. Talk, Dinner and Catching up: 28th May. Hawthorn Hotel
Topic: Quantum Physics and the Photoelectric Effect: What we can and can't say about it.
The next occasion will be on Weds, 28th May and again at the Hawthorn Hotel in Burwood Rd.
The speaker is Theo Hughes who will discuss models to explain the Photoelectric Effect and in particular the saturated photocurrent.
The event will also be hybrid so you can join online at no cost.
The fee to attend is $45 with a discount for Vicphysics members and it covers food and drink.
Click here for more details and to book for both in person and online.
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2. Perimeter Institute: PD on Special Relativity
The Perimeter Institute is offering a free on-line PD. It consists of six hours of asynchronous content and two 90 min synchronous online Zoom sessions (Day time Ontario time). The downside is that this corresponds to 1:00am, Weds 25th June and 1:00am Weds, 9th July Melbourne time, but at least 9th July is in the school holidays.
The asynchronous component has video lectures, short quizzes and assignments that must be completed before the synchronous component. The synchronous sessions will be interactive and involve small group discussions and activities. Participants must attend and participate in both synchronous sessions. For those who wish to explore more, about 4 hours of optional activities and practice problems are provided.
A knowledge of Year 12 physics and mathematics is assumed, and some assignments include mathematical problems. The course opens on 18th June.
For more details and to register click here. Registration is limited but will remain open until the course is filled or 24 hours before it begins.
Also check here for Perimeter Institute's free educational resources, including 9 on Quantum Physics alone.
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3. Harvard Physics Teachers Network : Youtube talks.
The Harvard Physics Teachers Network was set up in 2020 and has an online video resources for physics teachers with an international focus. It was an initiative of Eric Mazur. It holds regular zoom meetings for physics teachers with invited speakers. The videos of the sessions are subsequently posted on their Youtube channel.
One such session was held over last weekend, notice was received too late to promote. The topic was 'Sports on the Moon - the value of project-based learning' . The description was 'Sports on the Moon will be used to illustrate how physics instruction can engage students and provide opportunities for students to be creative while exhibiting their physics content knowledge.'
The video should appear on their Youtube channel later this week. In the mean time, you can check out their other videos on Modelling Instruction, Flipping Physics, The Science of Learning Physics and Joe Cossette on the Iterative Process of Teaching Physics, etc.
4. Events for Students
Girls in Physics Breakfasts
The support of the Invergowrie Foundation has enabled Vicphysics to increase the subsidy for the student fee for the regional breakfasts. The fee this year is now $15.
a) Melbourne 20th May and Live-streamed
Date: 20th May. Time: 8:00am. Venue: William Angliss Institute, 555 La Trobe St, Melb
Speaker: The AIP Women in Physics speaker Dr Danielle Holmes, UNSW Sydney.
Topic: Wonders of the Quantum World: from Stars to Quantum Computers
Bookings open Closing date: 13th May. Flyer is available
Live Streaming: Dr Holmes' presentation will be live-streamed. Check here for abstract, ideas on how to use the livestreaming and to register.
b) Synchrotron; 5th June and optional Synchrotron Tour
Date: 8th June. Time: 8:00am. Venue: Australian Synchrotron, 555 Blackburn Rd, Clayton
Speakers: Drs Amelia Liu and Taissa Danilovich, Monash University.
Topics: Shedding new light on glass; The dusty ends of Sun-like stars
Bookings Open. Closing date: 26th May. Flyer is available
This breakfast is generously supported by ANSTO.
There are optional Synchrotron Tours after the talks for an additional cost. There is a limit of 24 students for each tour group. So there will be three tours heading off 15 mins apart with activities before each of the last two groups head off, the activities are also available after the tour.
c) Geelong, 14th August. i) How important are powders? ii) Rethinking Waste: Engineering a Circular Future with Negin Amini and Sirjana Adhikari, Deakin University Bookings open Closing date: 4th August Flyer is available
d) Traralgon, 27th August. Molecular Movies with X-ray lasers with A/Prof Nadia Zatsepin, Swinburne University. Bookings Open. Closing date:18th August Flyer is available
Starting Times in 2025. This year the metropolitan events will start at 8:00am and the regional events will start at 8:30am.
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Out of Field PD: Light & Sound
The Out of Field PD continues in 2025. Forces and Motion started last week.
- Light and Sound in Moe and Wangaratta in 2 two-hour online sessions after school and one full day in person session in the month of June. Presented by Barbara McKinnon and Pete Furlong. Moe dates: 10th and 24th June after school and 18th June full day. Flyer. Wangaratta dates: 3rd and 17th June after school and 11th June full day. Flyer
- Cost of events: $330 per participant with a discount for teachers from Government schools and from schools with a low ICSEA rank. Discounted cost is $220.
To Book an event: Click on the link above.
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Items selected from PhysicsWorld (UK) and Physics Today (US). Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.
a) Would a musical triangle of any other shape sound as sweet?
The triangle is a small instrument made of a metal rod bent into a triangle shape that is open at one corner. While small, its sound is distinct, with multiple overtones and nonharmonic resonance. But what causes the surprisingly powerful sound? This is a link to a popular science article on the research. There is a link at the bottom to the actual paper and also to an article comparing the sound quality of 3-D printed instruments and traditional instruments.
b) Beyond the Big Bang: reopening the doors on how it all began
“The universe began with a Big Bang.” It summarises one of the most incomprehensible ideas in science: that the universe began in an extreme, hot, dense and compact state, before expanding and evolving into everything we now see around us. The certainty of the simple statement is reassuring, and it is an easy way of quickly setting the background to any story in astronomy. But what if it isn’t just an oversimplified summary? What if it is misleading, perhaps even wholly inaccurate? Check out the review of Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins by Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper.
c) The mechanics behind rose petal shapes revealed
Uneven growth in a flat sheet, in which the edges grow quicker than the interior, gives rise to strain and in plant leaves and petals, for example, this can result in a variety of shapes such as saddle and ripple shapes. Yet when it comes to rose petals, the sharply pointed cusps – a point where two curves meet — that form at the edge of the petals set it apart from soft, wavy patterns seen in many other plants. Another article about the research, also the science behind curly ribbons.
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i) Vicphysics Membership and Access to the Teachers' Resources on the website.
Vicphysics has changed its membership structure, benefits and fees. Previously, a subscription to the website resources was separate from being a member of Vicphysics. Access to website resources is now being included as one of a number of member benefits.
Membership benefits include:
- access to teacher resources section of the website
- discounts to attend conferences, in-services, etc,
- certification for attending each PD event,
- PL certificate for committee meetings supplied at the end of the calendar year and
- voting rights.
Membership fees are: Individual: $60, Retired: $40, Student (tertiary): $40, School: $120.
Vicphysics also offers a Resources Access Only option without the discounts and other benefits listed above. The fees for this option are the same as above.
Existing subscribers currently receive discounts, which will cease when their subscription expires. At that point, subscribers will need to choose between the two options above for continued access to the Teacher resources.
We are looking forward to increasing the membership base of Vicphysics and to fostering member input into our extensive range of activities from Physics teaching professional learning such as our recent SAC PD events or the Physics Teachers Conference to supporting activities for students, such as the Luna Park Physics Days or photo and poster competitions.
You can join us here!
ii) Vicphysics Forum: Tips and Questions for the Physics Teaching Community
The Vicphysics Teachers’ Network has set up an online Forum for teachers to raise issues, seek ideas, offer suggestions, etc.
Link here directly, or look out for it on our webpage where it can be found at the top right of our home page.
We hope it will be an opportunity for mutual professional development.
The forum is open to all teachers. If you are a subscriber, you can log in the usual way. If you are not a subscriber, you can register to use the forum at ‘My Account’. Given the purposes of this Forum, we ask that you use your real name when generating a topic or lodging a post.
We hope this Forum will become a valuable medium for exchanging ideas as we begin planning the new study design.
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