On the final day of term, a member of my form tested me with a series of science jokes, the first of which was; “Why does a beef burger have less energy than a steak?” Pause here if you want to come up with your own solution. I must admit that I didn’t guess the … Continue reading Non-binary electrons
Thawing a frozen balloon
The pressure, volume and temperature of a gas are all linked so it makes sense to keep one of them constant when investigating the interdependence of the other two. But we didn't do that when we watched the effect of liquid nitrogen on a partially-inflated balloon - as shown in the animation below. Before viewing … Continue reading Thawing a frozen balloon
Phase-change diagrams
The concepts of specific heat capacity and specific latent heat are nicely illustrated in phase-change diagrams. But how realistic are the diagrams that are commonly seen online? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is "not very". The phase-change diagram shown below is useful in terms of the amount of information it provides but, in common with many … Continue reading Phase-change diagrams
Squirrel speed
How fast can a squirrel run? I'm talking here about a red squirrel (the type we have in Jersey) and I'm assuming that the creature has been startled and is dashing for cover. Think for a moment: what sort of experiment could you arrange to answer this question? At its simplest, this is a time-and-distance … Continue reading Squirrel speed
Absolute Zero
Where does the idea of "absolute zero" come from? In part it stems from a need to avoid negative temperatures but a better explanation can be found by thinking about the kinetic theory of gases. When a gas is heated, its particles gain kinetic energy. This in turn means that the particles have a higher … Continue reading Absolute Zero
Flight facts
How long do you think it takes to get to cruising altitude on a long-haul flight? Aircraft travel has become so smooth that you could be forgiven for thinking that within 20 minutes, at the most, you're in level flight. And you would probably also think that the aircraft's speed is fairly constant from about … Continue reading Flight facts
physbang is back!
After a two-month break, I've decided to revive physbang - and with a refreshed design. There will still be posts of general interest but the focus for GCSE content will now be on AQA's Trilogy syllabus as that's the course I'm now teaching. My first new post is in hand and will appear very shortly...
What next?
Those of you who were in my last Y11 classes have now finished your GCSE Physics course but I hope this won't be the end of your physics learning. I've previously given some ideas about ways to extend your physics knowledge (see the Just for Fun category) and I'm going to give a few more … Continue reading What next?
Results week!
Earlier than usual, GCSE results will be announced on Thursday and I'm sorry that I won't be in school to see your reactions. Some of you will be delighted and some of you will be disappointed: that's always the way so please don't think this year is any different in that respect. Of course, this … Continue reading Results week!
Cool calculations
It's a hot day and you want a cold drink: how long will it take for your chosen beverage to be chilled to its ideal temperature? Fortunately, there's a neat little online calculator that will give you the answer and save you the effort of constantly checking to see whether the drink is ready to … Continue reading Cool calculations
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 