Grade SHORT Physics Lessons for Spring 2024
Assessments:
Test date: 19 February
| Week number | Starting date | Lesson content | Lesson resources and links | Homework |
| 28 | 8.1 | THE SMALL STUFF Small things: structure of matter.. Scale and powers of ten. Recap the particle model. This was suggested by the Ancient Greeks who had no way of knowing if it were true. SI prefixes and powers of 10 Useful units with the very big and small | Cosmic Zoom (1968) Cosmic Eye (2018) Extra info if you want it Have you ever seen an atom? Nature, Imaging individual atoms. (2 minutes) 9A and B lesson notes | Watch this video, and be prepared to discuss your ideas about it next week. |
| 3 | 15.1 | HOW DO WE KNOW? Scientific hypotheses - how do we identify the things we cannot see? 'The game of chess' idea Revising the structure of atoms. Subatomic particles - quarks | Place in order of size Atomic models through time Fact, hypothesis, theory, truth ? lesson notes Crash course in particle physics (in case you are interested) Part 1 Part 2 | No homework |
| 4 | 22.1 | Paradoxes in physics - special relativity and Schrödinger's Cat | In the lesson you are taken through the weird thinking of quantum mechanics with the wave-particle duality view of the world. The nature of paradoxes and a different way of viewing the world are introduced. No cats were harmed in the lesson Paradoxes - what are they? NewScientist article on Schrödinger’s cat | Watch this video - there is no written task for this homework |
| 5 | 29.1 | Atomic structure, | Quick video to explain the types Lesson notes Learning outcomes 9A 9B | |
| 6 | 5.2 | Ionising radiation Einstein's Equation | Dangers of ionising radiation Alexander Litvinenko story Ionising radiation graphics Where does the energy come from? Mass defect. Einstein's equation. Lesson notes | Complete the worksheet you were given in class |
| 7 | 12.2 | Fusion, fission Chernobyl | Nuclear reactions which generate energy. Problems with nuclear power. Lesson notes Some excellent resources: HBO series 'Chernobyl' Film: 'Oppenheimer' Further resources on fusion and fission: IAEA site - F & F - what's the difference? BBC Bitesize (GCSE level) The Science Hive Brief description of nuclear accidents worldwide Video detailing events at Chernobyl - this is a bit sensationalised... | Study for the test. The test is open notebook so you should check your notes are up to date. If you feel you have too little material, remember that the 'what I want you to understand' statements for each of our lessons can be found on the blog in the lesson notes. And on this sheet - this also covers the rest of the term's work. You only need the first six sections. |
| 8 | 19.2 | TEST | ||
| 9 | 26.2 | What is out in space? | Planets, moons, asteroids, comets, cosmic dust, stars galaxies, nebulae, pulsars, neutron stars, black holes Distances in space Pale Blue Dot commentary lesson notes 9 | No homework |
| 11 | 11.3 | Big bang' theory of the evolution of the Universe | Timeline since the Big Bang Evidence for the Big Bang 5 min video (Cosmic Microwave Background radiation) Doppler shift Interesting background resources: Excellent documentary 'The Universe' Clip shown 6.30 to 7.50 Big Bang Cosmology | |
| 12 | 18.3 | The life cycle of stars; planets | Video Lesson work sheet, based on | What is 'The Goldilocks Zone' around a star ? Written answers please! |
| 13 | 25.3 | Can there be life elsewhere in the universe ? | Exoplanets | |
| 14 | 1.4. | No lesson. | ||
| 15 | 8.4 | Exoplanet task | The exoplanet task is here but you will submit it through Teams Seasons on Uranus | 20 minutes on the exoplanet task |
| 16 | 15.4 | Exoplanet task | 20 minutes on the exoplanet task | |
| 17 | 22.4 | Exoplanet task | 20 minutes on the exoplanet task. | |
| 18 | 29.4 | Exoplanet task | The deadline is 20.00 on Monday April 29 | |
| 19 | 6.5 | |||
| 20 | 13.5 | |||
| 21 | 20.5 |
