Recreating Ernest Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment by Emma Trott

Riccarton High goes to UC.

The Riccarton High School level 2 Physics class attended a fascinating field trip to the University of Canterbury Physics Department and the infamous Rutherford's Den.

The students spent the day learning about Ernest Rutherford, atomic models, radiation and carrying out various experiments.  Students were given the opportunity to role model Rutherford's famous gold foil experiment (Rutherford established the nuclear theory of the atom using this experiment),  and while in the university laboratory, students were able to experiment using radioactive sources and measuring half-life and absorption rates.  They even got to handle a Uranium rod from a reactor for a short time. 

Our students enjoyed loads of super cool demos courtesy of the Physics Outreach teacher,  including liquid nitrogen and a hoverboard.  Check out the awesome photos below.

Image by: Emma Trott


Image by: Emma Trott


Image by: Emma Trott


Image by: Emma Trott