Santa Sabina Dominican College

TCD Oil Drop Experiment

16-December-24
TCD Oil Drop Experiment

Our school has been selected to take part in the TCD Physics 300 Celebration.

One of 37 schools located in 32 countries on the island.

We are running the Oil Pitch Drop Experiment.

This experiment was first set up in Trinity College in 1944 and is still going.

The pitch tar is placed in a funnel and slowly falls creating a drop which eventually falls.

Video footage of the oil drop falling went ‘viral’ in 2013.

We have a specially developed pitch blend that is expected to drop in a few weeks rather than decades

Our experiment is placed in the display cabinet at the Reception Area.

The project is being led by the 5th Physics Class who will take the measurements and perform other experiments on viscosity.

It is hoped that the whole school will engage with experiments through a series of competitions etc.

Students will attend a Shared Learning Day in March 2025. In TCD where they will share their research and findings with other schools

For further information see

https://www.tcd.ie/physics/news-events/news/pitchtardrop/

https://www.tcd.ie/physics/300/pitch-tar/

Or talk to any 5th Year Physics student

TCD Oil Drop Experiment
Greenfield Rd, Sutton, Dublin 13, Ireland
Enquire
Location
© 2025 Santa Sabina Dominican College