On April 20, eighty local students were invited to explore the “World of Sound” through hands-on experiments and a demo show at the Spring 2024 Girls’ Science Investigations (GSI).
The event was hosted by the Yale Physics Department, in collaboration with Yale Pathways to Science. Approximately forty volunteers assisted with registration and the hands-on experiments, which demonstrated the properties of sound using every day items like slinkies, salt, and rubber bands. The demo show was presented by Yale Physics graduate students Emily Pottebaum, Molly Watts, and Sierra Wilde.
One participant commented, “My favorite thing was the hands-on experiments we got to do and take home.”
For example, the “Resonance & Musical Instruments” experiment involved making a flute out of a film canister that they got to take home with them. In the “Nature of Sound” experiment, participants took home a bee hummer.
Pottebaum explained, “The physics concepts students learned throughout the day were shown off during the demo show, which included fire that took the shape of a standing wave, a variety of strange musical instruments played very enthusiastically by GSI participants, and shattering a beaker with nothing but sound [coming from a whistle]. It made for a grand finale for the day as many students commented that it was one of their favorite things about the day.”
GSI was founded in 2007 and is currently run by Rona Ramos, physics lecturer and graduate services coordinator. It is a free program for students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade who are interested in learning more about science, and girls are strongly encouraged to apply.
The mission of GSI is to motivate, empower, and interest girls in developing the skills they need to pursue careers in science. University students and professors act as mentors and provide a context for exploring and understanding the various disciplines of science through hands-on activities in a laboratory environment. Through student scientific-engagement and parental awareness, Girls’ Science Investigations strives to close the gender gap in science found today.