In advance of next week's GCSE results, Edexcel has announced details of real GCSE examinations that you will be able to take during November. This is important because if you want to take advantage of that opportunity then you must start preparing NOW! Send me an email as soon as possible if you think this … Continue reading Paper-based exams in November
Keep the cogs turning!
The phenomenon of "learning loss" during the long summer holidays is well known so to keep your physics cogs turning, here's a brief challenge. I took my camera to the Five Mile Road on Saturday and photographed cars going past. The camera was set to 5fps so every sixth picture should have been recorded exactly … Continue reading Keep the cogs turning!
Home Study Projects
Constantly going over things that you have already learned can get a bit boring so if you want to extend your knowledge over the summer holiday then it's a good idea to do so using some fresh material. Finding suitable resources can be tricky so let me suggest some materials that are provided online at … Continue reading Home Study Projects
Driven to Succeed?
New research published today (20th July) suggests that GCSE students who are determined to do well are more likely to achieve higher levels of success. This may be stating the obvious but let's not underestimate what it means... If you are moving from Y10 to Y11 after three months of disrupted schooling then there is … Continue reading Driven to Succeed?
Black Holes
In our course, we cover Black Holes only as the final product of a collapsed super-massive star but if you want to know more about these fascinating objects then I highly recommend the ten-minute video by Perimeter Institute. To view the video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfdviKnUZOA&list=PL1608DAAD37A04B35 The same collection of videos also has a great six-minute … Continue reading Black Holes
The Importance of Equations
Writing about A Brief History of Time*, Stephen Hawking freely admitted that he didn't care much for equations. He went on to add, with a hint of humour; "this is partly because it is difficult for me to write them down but mainly because I don't have an intuitive feeling for equations". You may feel … Continue reading The Importance of Equations
Exam Tips 1: Word Choices
Obviously you have to know your subject content to succeed in any test or exam but there are also some things you can do to avoid common mistakes. Here are five top tips for getting extra marks simply by being more careful in your use of words. 1. Learn the command words and how to … Continue reading Exam Tips 1: Word Choices
Surface Colour and Cooling
In the same way that surface colour affects the rate at which objects heat-up and the maximum temperature that they reach (as discussed here) so too will the surface colour affect the rate of cooling. As before, there is a standard experiment that you are expected to know and a typical set of curves that … Continue reading Surface Colour and Cooling
Surface Colour and Heating
Most people say you shouldn't go out on a summer's day wearing black because you will get too hot. It would be much better to wear white as this will keep you cooler. But is that actually true? We can test this idea using two boiling tubes that have been sprayed to have different surface … Continue reading Surface Colour and Heating
Raise your grades!
Back in February I told you about a free online mini-course to help you improve your exam technique over five days. That course is back again so if you missed it the first time, do it now. (Bear in mind that "exam" technique includes tips for improving your answers in tests of all types - … Continue reading Raise your grades!
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 