Chemical Physics Student Aims To Inspire The Next Generation of Scientists
For University of Guelph student Thomas Toet, studying chemical physics is about understanding how the world works and sharing that curiosity with others. As he prepares to graduate, Toet hopes to bring that passion for physics and chemistry to the classroom as a teacher. Toet, a fourth-year student, says he has long enjoyed both physics and chemistry, but chemical physics allowed him to explore the connection between the two.
The program blends physics and chemistry to better understand how materials behave and why chemical reactions happen. By combining both disciplines, students learn how physics can help explain the processes behind chemistry and provide a deeper understanding of how many of the materials and technologies used in everyday life function.
“Chemistry often talks about reactions and what happens,” Toet says. “Physics explains what’s actually going on with the atoms and the underlying properties.”
Connecting Science to Real-world Problems
Through research opportunities during his degree, Toet has seen how this interdisciplinary approach can help address real-world challenges. In one research project, he studied the formation of hydrogen bubbles created when water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. Understanding how this process works could help improve technologies that produce hydrogen as a cleaner energy source, including systems that could one day power hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Toet is completing a capstone project focused on polyethylene pipes commonly used in plumbing systems. The research examines how these materials degrade over time and how scientists might better understand and potentially slow that process. Projects like these, he says, show how combining physics and chemistry can help researchers tackle practical challenges related to energy, infrastructure and materials.
A Supportive Place to Learn
Toet says the University of Guelph, particularly within the physics department, has been a welcoming environment to study science.
“The professors are very supportive, and the students are friendly and willing to help if you ask,” he says.
Small class sizes and approachable professors make it easier for students to ask questions and build confidence as they explore complex ideas, he adds.
Looking Ahead to the Classroom
As he looks ahead after graduation, Toet is considering a master’s degree while also exploring the possibility of teachers college, reflecting a long-standing interest in education. Teaching runs in his family, and Toet says he has always wanted to share his enthusiasm for science with others.
“I want to instill the desire to learn in people and share my passion with the next generation,” he says.
By teaching high school science, Toet hopes to introduce students to the kinds of ideas that first sparked his own interest in physics and chemistry and help them see how those fields connect to the real world.