Physics Laboratory Equipment

24 April 2024 | Book now

Explore Maths and Physics degrees at our Taster Day

Enjoy solving problems and working with equations? Big and exciting questions wait for you – in areas like technology, data, the environment and space exploration.

If you have an analytical mind and love to explore and investigate how the world around us works, then discover what you could do with a Maths or Physics degree at our Taster Days on:

  • 24 April 2024
  • 12 June 2024
  • 9 July 2024

Join us on campus for hands-on workshops, student discussions, and personalised pathway planning. Amp up the excitement with machine learning and calculus to conquer interactive challenges. Or delve into physics essentials like Planck's constant, electron diffraction, and beta decay – as you take on cosmological investigations to uncover the universe's mysteries, learning how to measure the speed of light in real-time.

Vast and exciting careers await you with a Maths or Physics degree. That journey starts at Portsmouth.

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Explore Maths degrees at the University of Portsmouth

At our Maths and Physics Taster Days, you’ll: 

  • Marvel at the mysteries of the Universe, explore shining matter, and discover insights into the Milky Way—or delve into distant galaxies on a cosmic journey.
  • Test mathematical codes to determine if a machine can outperform human algorithms in a competition between humans and robots.
  • Explore how Maths and Physics courses extend opportunities beyond equations, forces, and number-crunching, paving the way for extraordinary, out-of-this-world experiences.
  • Quiz students on their experiences of studying Portsmouth, life during their studies, and the enjoyable aspects of university.
  • Tour the University's facilities, from dedicated Physics laboratories to the Library and technologies including Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM).
  • Take part in interactive workshops to gain experiences that will set you apart on your UCAS personal statement.
  • Learn about Connected Degrees at Portsmouth, the only UK uni to offer a three-year course with 4th year placement.

Taster Day Location

Check in opens at 10.00am in Portland Building, Portland Street, PO1 3AH. Look out for our students in purple T-shirts who'll help direct you.

If you're arriving by coach or minibus, we recommend parking on Museum Road, Portsmouth which is just outside of the Ravelin Sports Centre. For more information on checking in and how to get here, take a look at our guide to taster days page.

Taster Day Programme

Pick to explore either Maths of Physics Taster when you save your place.

Book your place now

Maths Taster

Check-in from 10.00am at Portland Building, Portland Street, PO1 3AH and get ready to learn about studying a Maths degree at university.

Here's our Subject Taster Days Guide, should you want to learn a little more about our Taster Days before booking or arrival.

Exciting careers and industries await you with a degree in Maths.

Find out what we've got planned for you today and the different Maths degrees available at the University of Portsmouth.

Soap and Calculus: Find the Shortest Path

Soap films naturally minimize their surface area and this can be used to find the shortest path in a network, which interestingly have special symmetry properties.
We will demonstrate this phenomenon by dipping frames into soapy water and then use calculus to prove this symmetry property in a special case.

*Note: this is 1 of 3 sessions running at this time:

  • Machine Learning
  • Soap and Calculus: Find the Shortest Path
  • Tour the University Facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to see all 3 talks over the course of the day.

Quick breather. Take stock of the morning then get ready for the next session.

Machine Learning

Dive into machine learning and hand build a prediction function to guess the species of plant from the measurement of its leaves.

You'll estimate the average prediction error and test python code which automatically learn a similar function via a decision tree.

Will the machine learning algorithm beat our human-designed versions?

*Note: this is 1 of 3 sessions running at this time:

  • Machine Learning
  • Soap and Calculus: Find the Shortest Path
  • Tour the University Facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to see all 3 talks over the course of the day.

Fuel-up. Feel free to bring your own lunch for the day or grab something from the cafeteria.

Tour the University Facilities

Discover the buildings that our Maths students call home and see what it could be like to live and study in Portsmouth as you'll explore the Library, Ravelin Sports Centre and the Student Union for a taste of life outside of your studies.

*Note: this is 1 of 3 sessions running at this time:

  • Machine Learning
  • Soap and Calculus: Find the Shortest Path
  • Tour the University Facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to see all 3 talks over the course of the day.

Courses, Careers and Q&A

A degree in maths shows that you have the ability to analyse and think critically and it's been forecasted that more than 7 million people in the UK will need mathematical science skills in 2030.

Learn about the courses we offer at Portsmouth, what graduates go on to do and ask our students about their studies, experiences and life at University.

Physics Taster

Check in from 10.00am at Portland Building, Portland Street, PO1 3AH and get ready to learn about studying a Maths degree at university.

Here's our Subject Taster Days Guide, should you want to learn a little more about our Taster Days before booking or arrival.

Advances in physics lead to new technologies that change our world and forge a path to a brighter future.

Get an intro to the day and find out about the different Physics courses available at the University of Portsmouth.

Shining galaxies in a dark universe

The Universe is mostly dark and empty, but 5% of it is made of shining matter, which we can use to investigate the mysterious formation and evolution of our cosmos.

Get a biography of the Universe as we share state-of-art knowledge on what big galaxies are and how they form and you'll see how our own Milky Way formed as a 'pizza'.

Quick breather. Take stock of the morning then get ready for the next session.

Cosmic detectives

Galaxies and other massive structures in the Universe cause distant light to bend around them.

Become a Cosmic Detective as where you'll undertake your own cosmological investigation from observations using the same methods our researchers to explore the Universe.

*Note: this is 1 of 4 sessions running at this time:

  • Cosmic Detectives

  • Explore our Physics Labs

  • Lab Taster Experience

  • Tour Portsmouth's facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to experience all 4 over the course of the day.

Explore our Physics Labs

During a Physics degree you'll carry out experiments, get results and analyse data and you'll get to explore our Lab facilities in this session.

Take a glimpse at studies and equipment including Planck's constant, electron defraction, and beta decay and see how students measure the speed of light.

*Note: this is 1 of 4 sessions running at this time:

  • Cosmic Detectives

  • Explore our Physics Labs

  • Lab Taster Experience

  • Tour Portsmouth's facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to experience all 4 over the course of the day.

Fuel-up. Feel free to bring your own lunch for the day or grab something from the cafeteria.

Courses, Careers and Q&A

A Physics degree demonstrates your problem-solving and computational skills that are in high demand and you'll join a field where the UK government puts your earning potential as high as £50,000.

Learn about studying Physics at Portsmouth, where our Graduates end up working (including Tesla, BAE and British Telecom) and you can ask our students about their studies, experiences and life at University.

Lab Taster Experience

Now that you've investigated the equipment that our students use, you'll get hands-on with interactive facilities across the lab. 

You'll be able to try out some of our kit in our taster experience and put your skills to the test in some interactive activities across our laboratories.

*Note: this is 1 of 4 sessions running at this time:

  • Cosmic Detectives

  • Explore our Physics Labs

  • Lab Taster Experience

  • Tour Portsmouth's facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to experience all 4 over the course of the day.

Tour the University Facilities

Discover the buildings that our Maths students call home and see what it could be like to live and study in Portsmouth as you'll explore the Library, Ravelin Sports Centre and the Student Union for a taste of life outside of your studies.

*Note: this is 1 of 4 sessions running at this time:

  • Cosmic Detectives

  • Explore our Physics Labs

  • Lab Taster Experience

  • Tour Portsmouth's facilities

You'll attend any 1 of these sessions during this particular timeslot, and you'll get to experience all 4 over the course of the day.