Perimeter Institute brings the full wonder of modern physics and the excitement of 21^st -century theoretical physics research into your high school classroom. Many thousands of students have been reached since the program's inception in the fall of 2001. Expanding first throughout South Western Ontario, the program now reaches students in classrooms all across Canada.

For more information or to arrange for a presentation in your class(es) please contact:

Julie Taylor
Administrative Assistant, Scientific Outreach
Tel: (519) 569-7600, extension 5011
jtaylor@perimeterinstitute.ca

Available Presentations

Black holes, Einstein and IPODs: An introduction to the mysteries of the universe

What are some of the latest advances in our understanding of the universe? What does being a scientist involve? What do IPODs have to do with quantum physics?

This hands-on multimedia presentation introduces your students to the fascinating world of cutting-edge modern physics via the familiar topics of black holes, Albert Einstein and modern electronic devices such as the IPOD (all of which rely on quantum physics). It also incorporates Newtonian mechanics and shows that, while it is phenomenally useful, it also has a number of limitations and must be replaced by other theories when objects get either very small (quantum physics) or very fast (relativity).

Target audience: Grade 11 and 12 students studying physics (both university and college preparation).
Curriculum connections: Forces and motion: Dynamics, Energy and momentum, Matter-energy interface.

The Mystery of Dark Matter

What are galaxies such as our own Milky Way made of? If you had asked most scientists sometime prior to the last few decades, they would have said that the answer was the visible stars (such as the sun) and gases (eg. Hydrogen gas) that astronomers can see through their telescopes. However, since then physicists have come to believe that these objects constitute just a small fraction of the mass of any particular galaxy.

If so, then what is the rest of it made of? The answer is a vast amount of invisible, hidden matter known as dark matter. To date, scientists do not know what it is made of and finding out is one of the hottest topics in cosmology today. All up, dark matter is thought to make up 25% of the entire physical universe.

In this highly interactive presentation, students will be presented with some of the main observations that led scientists to believe in the radical idea of dark matter and will be guided through a process in which they come to ‘discover’ it for themselves.

This presentation works best when students have already encountered universal gravitation and uniform circular motion.

Curriculum Connections: Universal gravitation and uniform circular motion.

The Weird World of Quantum Theory

Quantum theory represents, arguably, the most accurate and successful scientific theory in human history. It explains a phenomenally diverse range of things from the tiniest subatomic particles such as electrons and quarks, to laser beams, to the billions of transistors found in computers, cell phones and MP3 players.

This highly interactive, hands-on presentation introduces this theory by highlighting one of its core features, namely, discreteness. Students engage in an experiment in which they measure the single most important constant in quantum theory, Planck’s constant — that lies at the heart of the theory. 

Curriculum Connections: The nature of light, blackbody radiation, and photoelectric effect.