The shape of the magnetic field around a bar magnet should be familiar to you as it has been covered in detail in a previous article, which you can read here. But rather than just knowing this shape, it is important that you can describe how to investigate it. There are two versions of this … Continue reading Drawing Magnetic Fields
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Permanent and Induced Magnetism
There is a separate article that explains magnetic fields and forces so this article focuses on magnetic materials and the difference between permanent and induced magnets. There are naturally occuring rocks that are capable of being magnetised (magnetite) and others that are already magnetised (lodestone). The important ingredient in both of these rocks is iron … Continue reading Permanent and Induced Magnetism
Motion Along a Line
Having looked at the first Physics paper for this year's AQA Trilogy examination, it seems to me that a significant proportion of questions have been framed around situations and applications rather than just recalling and connecting facts. With that in mind, let's take a real-world look at motion along a line... First an important definition. … Continue reading Motion Along a Line
Contact and Non-Contact Forces
It is surprisingly hard to say what a force really is but on a simple level we say that forces are either pushes or pulls. It would be better to label "pulls" as forces of attraction and "pushes" as forces of repulsion. Some forces have their effect when objects are in contact whereas others allow … Continue reading Contact and Non-Contact Forces
Radioactivity mini-test
There is a short online test that you can use to check your understanding of the key facts covered in the radioactivity topic for GCSE Physics. The test, available here, is hosted on liveworksheets.com so you will be able to see your score immediately after completing the test. Note that Q4 is not marked because … Continue reading Radioactivity mini-test
Half-life, Applications and Precautions
Radioactive decay is a random process. This means that if you were to observe a lot of unstable (radioactive) atoms, you would notice that they undergo nuclear decay at unpredictable moments. But if you extended your observations for a longer period you would spot an underlying pattern. Although it is impossible to predict when one … Continue reading Half-life, Applications and Precautions
Alpha and Beta Nuclear Decay
Radioactive decay happens when an unstable nucleus changes into the nucleus of a more stable (different) element. We know that elements are defined by the number of protons in their nucleus so the only way for an atom to change into something else is by either increasing or decreasing the number of protons that it … Continue reading Alpha and Beta Nuclear Decay
Atoms: Vital Statistics
In a previous article, I recapped the key facts you need to know about atoms. Here we will look at the numerical information you need to remember and the concept of isotopes. The table below lists the essental information you need to know about the three sub-atomic particles; protons, neutrons and electrons. There is an … Continue reading Atoms: Vital Statistics
Atoms: Key Facts
There's an old science joke: "you should never trust atoms because they make up everything". And that's true. Atoms aren't liars (as far as I know) but they are the smallest parts of all substances. But what else are you expected to know? Firstly, atoms are really small. The diameter of a typical atom is … Continue reading Atoms: Key Facts
Specific Heat Capacity and Energy Stores
Two ways are suggested in GCSE Physics for measuring the specific heat capacity of a material. I have already explained the electrical method (see here) but it looks likely, from the advanced information supplied by AQA, that the other method will feature in this summer's Trilogy physics examination. So here's what you need to know … Continue reading Specific Heat Capacity and Energy Stores
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