Looking up at the stars is awe-inspiring experience but light pollution from the ground greatly reduces the number of stars that can be seen. Even a single neighbouring security light that is either permanently on or frequently activated by people or animals can ruin the night sky for others. There is an annual event that … Continue reading Star Count 2023
Congratulations
The results are in and, overall, the AQA Trilogy course has been very successful. I have heard of some great individual results and I've been delighted to shake hands with some of you. I also know there have been some slight disappointments but that is the way things are: we live and learn (please never … Continue reading Congratulations
Summer challenge
While we wait for the GCSE results, what better to do than conduct an experiment, just for the fun of it? The project I am suggesting is the JMP Summer DOE Challenge, which runs from 11th July until the start of September and involves nothing more complicated than growing some cress seeds. Often in school … Continue reading Summer challenge
Thank You
That's it. This year's GCSE exams are now over. All that remains is for the papers to be marked and the grades announced. And for me to say thank you to my (final) Y11 class, who got together and bought me a farewell gift, as shown below. Hofmann's apparatus. A hugely appreciated gift to me … Continue reading Thank You
Web of Confusion
A bit of light reading today, given that some of you sat a GCSE Chemistry paper this morning... I'm very proud to report that a short article I wrote for Physics World has been moved outside the magazine's pay-wall so it is now available for everyone to read. It concerns confusing information on the Internet … Continue reading Web of Confusion
Determination of ‘little-g’
One of my favourite experiments in GCSE physics is a practical that seems to have fallen from favour in recent years – but it’s still worth exploring. The experiment involves using a ticker-timer to make dots at regular time intervals (0.02 s apart) on a strip of tape that is attached to a moving object. … Continue reading Determination of ‘little-g’
Heisenberg and Sheldon; speed and uncertainty
In my very last Y11 lesson of last term I did a 15-minute dash through some of the weirder bits of physics, including Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. This says that, for example, you cannot know the exact values of an object's position and speed (actually its momentum). More excitingly, you cannot know the exact energy of … Continue reading Heisenberg and Sheldon; speed and uncertainty
Non-binary electrons
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
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...
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 