Science Week Experiment

Before the end of Spring Term for science week, pupils attempted to investigate how the nuclear radiation intensity is affected by the distance from the radiation source. To do these they were using an americium source which emits alpha and beta radiation and a Gieger counter to count the particles of radiation. By systematically changing the distance and measuring how many radiation particles are detected over a fixed period of time, they collected a set of results that were plotted on a graph and the relationship was determined. It also gave them invaluable insight into real life scientific investigations as things did not go according to plan and we had to adjust the experiment to improve the results. This was a valuable insight into the world of scientific research as the practicals they usually do in class typically always work as expected.

Nathan Mahlmeister
Head of Science and Teacher of Physics