It was a real pleasure to see Ms Booth in action with a Year 7 class using fire from a Ruben’s tube and some nostalgic music in a fun and hugely enjoyed science lesson.

A Rubens’ tube, also known as a standing wave flame tube, or simply flame tube, is an antique physics apparatus for demonstrating acoustic standing waves in a tube. Invented by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905, it graphically shows the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure, as a primitive oscilloscope. Today, it is used only occasionally, typically as a demonstration in physics lessons like Ms Booth’s.

The Year 7 class enjoyed watching the flames dance to theme tunes such as Harry Potter and Star Wars. I was very surprised when the Year 7 students even recognised correctly one of the theme tunes from a film I expected only the teachers and parents to know – Back to the Future!

Well done Ms Booth and our budding Year 7 students!