Flying start: Physics

Planner

The following plan is meant as a guide to help you structure the activities in this flying start pack between June and August.

However, if you would like to complete this at a different pace and/or spend less or more time on each activity this is entirely your choice.

Week and activity number

Page number Time allocation Complete?

1 A 2 1-2h2 B-C 3 2-3h3 D-E 4-5 2-3h

4 F 6 1h5 G 6-8 2-3h6 H 8-9 1h7 I 9 2-3h8 J 10 1-2h9 K 11 1-2h10 L 12 1h

A. Get Inspired:Go to the Physics World website. https://physicsworld.comIt has loads of articles about many different aspects of Physics. Choose any one of the articles to read. Think about what you have read and what you found interesting about it. Reflect on how much of it you understand. Maybe talk to someone at home about it. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to read more articles and start finding out more.

Reflection

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B. The Particle Adventure Go to the particle adventure website. There is an app you can download or you can just use the website:- https://particleadventure.org/index.htmlOne of the first topics we study is about particles and quantum physics. This website will introduce you to the weird and wonderful world of particles. Go through the sections on the Standard Model and then the other sections. Don’t try to make notes, but if you have any thoughts or questions, you can record them below.

Thoughts and Questions

C. A short introduction to Quantum PhysicsWatch this short (5 mins) clip and enjoy a little taste of quantum physics. Don’t worry if you don’t really understand ithttps://www.ted.com/talks/chad_orzel_schrodinger_s_cat_a_thought_experiment_in_quantum_mechanics#t-258963

Thoughts and questions

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D. Maths1. We use a lot of very big and very small numbers in Physics. We don’t have time (and don’t want to make mistakes) by writing out lots of zeros so we use letters called prefixes to give numbers size. We also use standard form.Find out the name and the size (in standard form) for the following prefixes (one has been done for you):

2. Try to find other number prefixes. Record them here

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SYMBOL Name Size

G

M

k

c centi 10-2

m

n

p

f

SYMBOL Name Size

E. Rearranging equationsWe do a lot of rearranging of equations. Visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqpfcj6/revision/4 1. Rearrange each of the following (show your working) to make the letter indicated the subject

V = IR R =

I=Qt

t =

s = ut + ½ at2 u =

F=GMmr2

m =

F=GMmr2

r =

T=2π √ Lg L =

2as = v2 – u2 v =

2. The formula R = ρLA relates the resistance of a length of wire (R in ohms, Ω), its resistivity ( in

ohm-meters, Ωm), its length (L in metres, m) and its cross-sectional area (A in metres squared, m2).a) Rearrange this equation into a suitable form for calculating resistivity.

b) A piece of wire has resistivity 0.00024 m, resistance 6 and length 0.5 metres. Calculate its radius, r. (Help: A = πr2)

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F. Standard formGoing back to the topic of very big and very small numbers. Visit this page and work through the tutorial about standard form then try the exercises below:-https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8scdxs/revision/1

1 a) Convert the following to standard form:

Normal number Standard form

23.6

9.8

0.0004057

654700000

b) Write the following as normal numbers, not in standard form

Standard form Normal number

2.78 x 10-4

9.06 x 102

6.3 x 100

9.9 x 106

G. Back to ParticlesTime for some revision and then some research. Try this Khan academy video (20mins) https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/chemistry--of-life/elements-and-atoms/v/introduction-to-the-atom for an introduction and then try to complete the following:-

1. Define what is meant by an isotope.

2. What is an ion?

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3. Underline the particles below that carry an overall charge.

Nucleus Atom Electron Neutron Proton Ion Molecule

4. Complete the table using the following data.

Mass of electron = 9.11 x 10-31 kgMass of proton = mass of neutron = 1.67 x 10-27 kgCharge on electron = - 1.6 x 10-19 CCharge on proton = +1.6 x 10-19 C

Atom Nucleus

Element Atomic number

Atomic mass

Number of electrons

Number of neutrons

Number of protons

Relative charge on nucleus

Mass (in kg) Charge (in coulombs)

11H

126C

23892U

4. Nuclear Radiation. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW0S1C6wVrg to see a familiar face

from GCSE.

Complete the table.

Radiation Description (what is it?) Penetration – what is it stopped by?

Ionisation Effect of E or B field

Alpha(α)

Helium nucleus which is

made of:_________________

______________________

______________________

Few cm air or

thin________

Intense, about 104

ion pairs per mm.

Slight deflection

as it has a

______________

charge

Beta(β) ______________________

______________________

______________________

Few mm of

___________

Less intense than

α, about 102 ion

pairs per mm.

Strong deflection

in_________

direction to α

Gamma(γ) ______________________

______________________

___________

lead, or

Weak interaction

about 1 ion pair

per mm.

No

____________

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______________________

______________________

___________

___________

of concrete

5. Visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxbnh39/revision/4 for a reminder.

Complete the following 5 reactions by filling in the missing numbers

22688Ra Rn +4

2α

22888Ra Ac + 0

−1β

24294Pu U +

42α

K 4020Ca

+ 0

−1β

22286Rn

21884Po +

H. Everyday physicists Clips of real physicists and physics. Watch these and hopefully feel inspired.

Breaking barriers with quantum physics | Dr. Shohini Ghose (15mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlmwLyeWv5M

Laura the Medical Physicist | Physics Grads with Jobs! (4mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEHZD0Tkrbo

What is dark matter? | Physics world (4mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=264&v=69CubjQEY5U

CERN Highlights from 2019 (4mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=263&v=qv6uazEEU9U&feature=emb_logo

The fascinating physics of everyday life | Helen Czerski (15mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ryJK294Psw

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Physics Nobel Goes To 3 Scientists Who ‘Changed Our Conceptions Of The World’| NBC News (2mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eX5gXfolnI

You can subscribe to the IOP (Institute of Physics) e newsletter here, Qubit. It sends out Physics news, exam, university, and careers guidance https://www.iop.org/education/student/youth_membership/page_41684.html

I. Research TaskFind out a fact about each of the following. Please reference your sources. Give the website address where you found the information and the date that you accessed it. An example has been completed for you. Subject Information Source Date accessed

W Boson Exchange particle for the weak

force

http://

www.particleadventure

.org/weak.html

19/05/20

Gluon

Photon

What are

gravitational waves?

What did Richard

Feynman get the

Nobel prize for?

What is graphene and

what uses & potential

uses are there for it?

What is Tim Berners-

Lee famous for and

where did he do it?

A physics topic of

your choice

J. Problem solving and significant figures1. How many decimal places should I put? That’s a question we often hear from students. The answer depends on the information we have been given and how many ‘significant figures’ each number has. What are significant figures? Work through the online tutorial on Isaac Physics on

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problem solving and significant. Figure. You can stop when you get to the end of the significant figures section. https://isaacphysics.org/solving_problems#acc_solving_problems_sig_figs

Complete the table to show how many significant figures each value has. Two have been done for you as an example

Value No. of significant figures

1.50 30.0028 2182.972,9150.040.0400.04002006.4 x104

4.38 x 10-6

2. Rounding a final answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. Read through the info on rounding here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zscq6yc/revision/3

Round the values here to the number of significant figures (sf) given in each case

a) 15, 428 to 2sf =

b) 15, 428 to 4sf =

c) 6,950 to 1sf =

d) 6,950 to 2sf =

e) 0.0025277 to 1sf =

f) 0.0025277 to 2sf =

g) 0.0025277 to 3sf =

h) 0.0025277 to 4sf =

i) Write 0.0025277 in standard form to 2sf = K. More Maths for Physics

Lots of quantities in Physics are vectors. They have both magnitude (size) and direction. Force is an example of a vector quantity. What happens if more than one force act on an object? To work out what happens we have to combine all the force sizes and their directions. Two 10N forces acting in

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the same direction won’t have the same result (resultant) as two 10N forces acting at right angles to each other. To help analyse the many situations that involve vectors, we use a lot of ideas about triangles. You have probably heard of and used trigonometry and Pythagoras Theorem. Time for a reminder. Stop when you get to the section on the Unit Circlehttps://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/trigonometry.htmlNow try to solve these vector (right angle triangle) problems to find:-

1. Find F to 2sf

2. Find v to 2sf

3. Find S1 and S2 to 3sf

L. Over to youWhat about you and Physics? What interests you about it? Are there any particular branches of Physics you find more interesting than others? Why do you want to study it at A level? Have you thought about where it might take you in terms of university, an apprenticeship or a future

F = ?

30°

40 N

v = ?10 m/s

50°

s2 = ?

s1 = ?

6.50 m

15°

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career? It’s ok if you don’t know yet and you just find it interesting but tell us something about you and why you want to learn Physics.

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