Physics Lab Days at UWaterloo

Participants in the Physics Lab
Participants in the Physics Lab

Available every year in December and in April, grade 11 and 12 physics classes will engage in Physics lab stations specially designed to ignite their curiosity and to encourage them to make connections between various aspects of Physics.

Join us for Physics Lab Days!

Physics Lab Days offers an engaging two-hour program brimming with interactive and hands-on learning opportunities. Our lab activities encompass both curriculum-aligned experiments and glimpses of the exciting challenges that await students at the university level. Every experiment is designed to stimulate your students' critical thinking and expand their intellectual horizons.

For those looking to extend the experience into a full day of exploration, we provide a range of supplementary activities. You can opt for a workshop hosted at the Institute for Quantum Computing, embark on campus tours, or partake in an informative Q&A session, delving into the university life experience.

Available dates: December days TBA.
Group size: two groups of 24 (36 maximum) students a day, for a maximum of 72 students.
Teacher/supervisor is required to stay with each group.

Logistical Considerations
  • Days are offered in December and April each year.
  • Time slots fill up fast! We start to schedule groups in October (for December Lab Days) and February (for April Lab Days). We have the following priorities to try and make things as equitable as possible:
    • Waitlisted schools from plans that fell through previous years
    • Schools new to the University of Waterloo
    • Schools local to the Waterloo Region
    • Schools who can fill in gaps in our schedules 
    • All other schools
  • The sign-up form typically opens in September (for December Lab Days) and January (for April Lab Days)
    • Please let us know if you have any difficulties filling out the form.
    • A mailing list for sign-up exists. Please email physdemo@uwaterloo.ca if you would like to be added. If you have previously attended, you will be automatically added to the mailing list. 

Preparing Students for the Lab
  • No need to worry excessively about preparation. Our volunteers will be closely monitoring the lab and will take an active role in your students' participation and learning
  • Our topics typically cover Gravity, Electricity and Magnetism, Waves, Period & Frequency, Superconductors, and Spectroscopy on request
  • There will be flashing lights in use in the laboratory space

Sign-Up For Lab Days

The form is currently: Open

The form for December Lab Days will be open in September of 2025.

Please give us as much information as possible in order for us to accommodate your itinerary. 

We will be running two sessions per day, a full-day sessions is available upon request. 

For additional inquiries please email: physdemo@uwaterloo.ca 

Access the form below:

Sign up for Physics Lab Days Here