2024 Review
It has been a very exciting year for the group, starting with a physics session at Chichester College in February. Members built a variety of simple electric motors powered by a 3v battery. We also tested a number of different cloud chambers that visualize radiation. We generated the alpha particles from radon gas, strontium 90 and thoriated welding rods. A shocking event occurred when 100,000 volts were passed through our newest member when we generated static electricity from a van de Graaff machine. All the action was recorded for a video on You Tube commissioned by the U3A. This can be seen going to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSN6VqfXq8I
As the weather improved, a botany field trip was led by Helen on Pagham beach, showing the amazing colour and diversity of plants in such a hostile environment. These varied from the naturalized curry plant to the pretty perennial sweet pea.
In mid-summer out came the ultraviolet lamps for our mothing mornings with coffee and French pastries. An amazing 73 specimens were identified, including 4 Hawk moths and some less welcome guests, three rather irritable hornets.
Later this month Dave is leading a session on magnetism including an exciting attempt to create a magnetic suspension of luminous particles.