Project Information 

Grade Category: 10-12

Team Size: 1

Subject Area: Physics

Project Type: Experimental

Language: English

Summary: The goal of this project is to find the mass of an electron by measuring the Compton scattering effect at different angles, and to perform subsequent statistical analysis to obtain a more appropriate value for the mass with a corresponding error estimate. During the first trial the mass of the electron was found to be 0.5195MeV, during the second trial the mass of the electron was found to be 0.5179MeV. After statistical analysis, the mass was determined to be 509.22  KeV, which is equivalent to 9.0793926   kg.

Software used: Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Windows, Microwsoft Excel, Maestro.

Hardware tools used: NaI(Tl) scintillation detector plus related power and computer components, Cesium-137 radioactive source, computer, camera.

Source of the idea for this project: Currently, I am studying in my final year of high school and as for most students in grade 12, I have thought alot about future possibilities and careers. I am planning to pursue further studies at a post-secondary level, and one of the fields that really interests me is physics. So, this year I decided to do a science fair project that would raise my knowledge of what university physics is about, and would hopefully help me decide on what I would like to do in the future.

Special Skills: Photoshop, Dreamweaver, HTML.

Awards: 
                 - Senior Physical and Math Science, 1st place;
                 - Provincial Winners' Showcase Award