While some teenagers struggled to keep occupied during the recent school holidays, Danica Berry spent her time learning how to work with high-powered lasers, an electron microscope and electrical circuits.

Danica spent the first week of her holidays working with Central Queensland University's Process Engineering and Light Metals (PELM) research centre at the Gladstone campus as part of her school's work experience program.
Danica Berry with the Particle Imaging Velocimeter

Currently in year 11 at Gladstone State High School, Danica said it was her mum who suggested she might like to be a physicist and, after last week, she is glad she followed her advice.

"I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do but mum suggested a physicist because she said it involved a lot of problem solving and I really like that. Now I'd like to work at PELM.

"I learnt a lot about being a physicist and I know it involves running lots of tests and experiments to work out why something has happened or why something isn't working," said Ms Berry.

During her time at PELM, Danica worked closely with research staff and was given the opportunity to learn how to use a high-powered laser called a Particle Imaging Velocimeter (PIV) laser.

The PIV is a class-4 laser used by staff at PELM to produce a bright sheet of light to image small plastic particles in flowing water.  This allows staff to produce "flow fields" of liquid to optimise hydronamics, much the same as a wind tunnel is used to optimise aerodynamics.

"Using the laser was a highlight and so was looking at bugs through the Electron Microscope. I also built my own electrical circuit.

"My circuit didn't work how it was meant to, but I was told they often don't the first time around and so we spent some time running tests to see where I went wrong," said Danica.

Danica Berry with the electrical circuit she built while at PELMThe year 11 student said she had chosen all the right subjects to help her become a physicist and will continue to work hard to achieve her goal.