Standard Grade Fizzics: Recent Episodes
Sinclair Mackenzie
We finished the Energy Matters topic last week. Here are some notes with worked examples to show how we calculate the heat energy required to change the state of matter. Values of Lf and Lv are provided inside the front cover of a question paper. We’ll finish off the course by looking at Space Physics.
We finished the transport section with a look at Work, Potential & Kinetic energy. Those of you aiming for Credit need to carry out calculations involving kinetic energy using Here is a video about work, potential energy & kinetic energy from Bozeman Science //www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSWl_Zj-CZs Most of the calculations will be based on the principle of ... Read more
Here are some videos on balanced and unbalanced forces affecting the motion of objects. The first clip examines the forces on a cyclist as she cycles round a velodrome. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoTQDrzCqb0 The second clip looks at the way skydivers use forces to land safely. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-6uYOQK6A I’ve also attached a pdf with some notes on forces, free ... Read more
We’ve been learning about forces in class and today we looked at how car seatbelts use forces to keep us safe. Mr Mallon’s HelpMyPhysics site has a short video that demonstrates how a monkey can stay safe during a trolley collision when it is given a seatbelt. Here is a seatbelt advert from Sussex, the ... Read more
Your homework exercise on resistance is attached as a pdf document. Download the file and answer the questions in your homework jotter. Hand in your jotter no later than Monday 17/12/12.
We’ve examined the operation of a Geiger-Müller counter as part of the radiation topic. image by Theresa Knott The Geiger-Müller (GM) counter is used to detect ionising radiation such as alpha and beta particles or gamma rays. The radiation enters through a very thin window at one end of the tube. This window is usually made ... Read more
Last week, the BBC broadcast a Horizon programme about new cancer treatments being trialled at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. The documentary followed three different types of treatment; robotic surgery, a genetically targeted drug and a radiotherapy robot. As we’ve discovered, standard radiotherapy treatment involves splitting the required dose into 3 beams, so only cells inside ... Read more
Radiotherapy is one method doctors can use to treat cancer. Radiotherapy can be performed without surgery and avoids the side effects that a patient may experience during chemotherapy. In the most common form of radiotherapy, high energy x-rays are used to kill the cells in the tumour. The treatment must be planned carefully to make sure that ... Read more
X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation. They have a much higher frequency than visible light or ultraviolet. The diagram below, taken from Wikipedia, shows where x-rays fit into the electromagnetic spectrum. image by Materialscientist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays and the image below is the first x-ray image ever taken. It shows Mrs. Röntgen’s hand ... Read more
We spent some time looking at the physics of ultraviolet radiation last week. image courtesy of sonrisaelectrica The section of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths ranging from 10nm to 400nm is called ultraviolet radiation (uv for short). Sunlight contains uv rays and it’s those uv rays that are responsible for the suntan you get during the ... Read more