From October 20 to 25, 2025, the Alfried Krupp Student Lab turned into an adventure playground for young aspiring physicists. The project week offered 8th- and 9th-grade girls a colorful mix of exciting experiments, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations.
After a warm welcome and getting to know one another in the various workshops, a special highlight of the first day was the introductory lecture with Prof. Michael Scherer. In his lecture titled “On Diamonds, Pencil Tips, and Symmetries,” he demonstrated just how fascinating the world of solid-state physics can be. The students learn that both diamonds and pencil tips are made of the same chemical element, carbon. The key difference lies in the different arrangement of the atoms, which leads to the completely different properties of these materials.
The Full Scope of Physics in a Variety of Workshops
The participants chose one of four exciting workshops: In “From Plasma to a Gold Coating,” they learn about the practical applications of plasmas and how to use them to gold-plate objects. They use a device called a sputter coater to deposit thin layers of gold and examine these layers for thickness, transparency, and conductivity.
In the “Physics in Medicine” workshop, participants learned how ultrasound and X-rays work and were able to perform an ultrasound examination themselves. They learned how to use these technologies to visualize bones and organs and carried out various measurements.
The workshop “The Colors of the Stars” took the students on a journey of discovery through the universe. They learned how colorful images from space can help us learn about our cosmos and conducted experiments to identify elements using spectra.
In the “House of the Future” workshop, participants became builders themselves, using computers, Styrofoam cutters, and various building materials to design and construct their own model houses. They measured and compared the heating and cooling curves of their models and modified them to better retain heat inside.
From the Campus to the Edge of the Universe
Thanks to the varied supporting program, the students had the opportunity to get a feel for everyday life at the university. For example, there were lab tours during which the students gained insight into the current research being conducted at the University of Bochum ( Department ). In addition to the scientific activities, there were also group lunches in the cafeteria. A special highlight was the visit to the Bochum Planetarium, where the show “The Wonders of the Cosmos” was presented. The students embarked on a fascinating journey to the most beautiful and strangest places in the universe. The show began with a view of the Earth’s night sky, traveled through the Milky Way, and extended to the visible boundaries of the cosmos. Following the show, the participants had the opportunity to ask their curious questions during a Q&A session with the planetarium’s director, Prof. Susanne Hüttemeister, and learn more about the mysteries of the universe.
On the last day of the project week, the students presented the results and insights from their workshops during a poster session. The week concluded with an exciting quiz show in which the groups competed against each other and put their knowledge to the test. During a closing dinner featuring pizza and homemade nitrogen ice cream, the participants had the chance to reflect on the week. The physics project week was not only educational but also a lot of fun. One participant expressed her enthusiasm: “The mentors were so nice! They not only helped us with the experiments but also always had time for our questions. It was a great week!” The “ Department ” extends its heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who led the workshops and participated in the program, as well as to the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation and the zdi Network NRW for their support.
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