insight4me Engineering: Practical Applications of Physics Principles with The University of Sheffield & UEA

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for current Year 12/Year 13 students. The sessions support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording students the opportunity to talk to different universities and make informed comparisons about how Engineering disciplines are taught.

In this insight4me Engineering webinar for schools and colleges, two universities, including UEA and The University of Sheffield, will have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, topic based ‘micro’ talk. Within an overall session aim to offer exciting case studies of Practical Applications of Physics Principles in Engineering, the universities have the freedom to choose their own case study which links to the Physics A Level curriculum, and use the time to convey the key points of the case study for the Year 12/Year 13 students. Through the discussion, the universities are encouraged to provide an insight into the teaching and learning experience of this area at university, and compare and contrast how other subject areas across the Engineering spectrum might be treated. Students will gain an insight into how these subjects build upon and continue beyond the A-level curriculum.

By hearing from 2 unis, students will also appreciate how the further study of Engineering can vary between institutions, contributing to the depth of their HE research and assisting informed decision making.

Full details of the universities and the case studies are below:

• University of East Anglia: Professor Lawrence Coates will present: ‘When trying to understand how blood flows round the body, Swiss mathematician and physicist, Daniel Bernoulli, stated in 1738 that as pressure and speed change in a flowing fluid, energy is nevertheless conserved.  In reality energy in a flowing fluid is lost to heat so you might think that this ancient idea isn’t much use.  However, we will show that if this important principle is used carefully it can help to explain how pressure changes when water flows through pipe constrictions and air flows past objects in a wind tunnel.  But sometimes it leads to results that are counter-intuitive.‘
• The University of Sheffield: Dr Gavin Williams will present: ‘Red LEDs were invented nearly sixty years ago, but it was not until a few years ago that the blue LED arrived. The co-inventors of the blue LED were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics, since it was recognised that if you have blue light, then you can make white light. These LEDs have produced a lighting revolution, where they are replacing the less-efficient incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. I will explain the physics behind these tiny devices and also suggest how they may soon be giving us an even better internet connection.’   

Students will have the chance to question each speaker and/or offer their own ideas.

This will be a dynamic, fast paced event with the universities cycling between 2 different virtual rooms. The universities will decide how to manage the time but a rough guide would be a 20 minute talk followed by questions from the schools.

Suitable for: Year 12 and 13 Physics students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Engineering.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 3 topics and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying Engineering at university level.

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 to 5 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience. In this event there will be three groups of schools taking part increasing the opportunity to participate.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you have a group of students that you would like to take part in this event, please click here  BOOK HERE

Subject to availability we will book a place for you.