In Mr. Flomberg's advanced physics course, Modern Physics, students explore key discoveries that have led to the development of relativity and the quantum world. Topics include the wave properties of light, Einstein's Special and General Theories of Relativity, quantum mechanics, and this week—a quick foray into nuclear physics.

Nearing the end of their semester of study, students will soon embark on a project in which they explore alternative fuel sources (to fossil fuels) to meet our ever-increasing energy needs without pumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. One group is investigating solar energy. The other two groups are considering nuclear power; fission for one group and fusion for the other. Understanding the equivalence of mass-energy and the incredibly potent strong nuclear force will be key to those latter groups in their presentation.

During the lesson, students were each given a cluster of Legos that represented a nucleus, with bricks being the protons and neutrons holding onto each other (like strong nuclear force). Students then disassembled the blocks, recognizing the different levels of force needed to pry the various types of blocks apart (separating the protons and neutrons from each other making them loose or free). Students learned that, with the force of breaking the legos apart—adding energy—this increases mass to the protons and neutrons (E=mc²).