Read P32-33 and watch this video about stopping a car. Make notes on these, and bring to next lesson. The video is a bit annoying, because it uses units of miles per hour and feet, but otherwise it's ok.
Terminal Velocity
Classwork
We observed some falling objects using multiple exposures of a camera - see this pic from the lesson.
We made notes on terminal velocity.
Homework
Answer Q1 and 3 on P35 and bring to next lesson.
Also you could optionally watched this short mythbusters clip, though it doesn't exactly include a lot of physics.
Crumple Zones
Classwork
I gave you some feedback on the homework, and the ideal exam-style answer.
Remember it is not the change in momentum that matters in this case - it's the rate of change of momentum that determines the force.
We built and tested crumple zones:
Homework
No homework.
Forces and Momentum
Classwork
We made some notes on forces and momentum, and force = change in momentum / time.
If you missed the lesson watch this video which should help a bit.
Homework
Read P26-7 of the textbook.
Do Q1-2 on P27 and hand in tomorrow.
Collisions and Explosions
Classwork
We demonstrated various collisions where two objects of varying masses bounced off each other, stuck together, or were pushed apart by springs.
Learn the life cycle of low mass and high mass stars on P231 - there will be a quiz next lesson.
Nuclear Reactors
Classwork
We went through lots of your examples of chain reactions - thanks for those.
We made notes on what can happen to neutrons released by nuclear fission in a nuclear reactor, and discussed control rods and the use of water as a moderator.
We watched a short video which showed the inside of a nuclear reactor.
Homework
Next week we will finish off nuclear fission and move on to nuclear fusion.
In preparation for starting nuclear fusion, please watch this video and read P224-5 of the textbook. We will make notes on this next lesson.
Chain Reactions/Emails
Classwork
We looked at the way chain reactions can grow and decay in the context of chain emails.
I forgot to go through the homework from last lesson (which only 8 people handed in for some reason?) - we will go through this next lesson.
Homework
If you did not hand in your homework from last week (Q1-2 P223) please hand it in tomorrow morning.
Watch this video which shows different ways of modelling chain reactions.
Find another example of something like the 'chain reactions' we discussed. We have discussed chain emails, fission chain reactions and I also mentioned disease spread, so you can't use those.
Explain how the thing increases or decreases based on the number of things passed on per generation. E.g. new contagious diseases (against which we have no immunity) can grow like a chain reaction - if each person infected goes on to infect, say, 2 more people, then initially the number of people infected in each generation will grow exponentially and the disease will spread more and more quickly.
Write about your example of a 'chain reaction' - maximum 1 side A4 - and bring it to next lesson. Include pictures and graphs if you like.
Nuclear Fission
Classwork
We went through the test. Please make sure you go through your test and do your corrections carefully for the parts we did not go through in detail - you should be able to do this using your notes and the textbook. If any issues remain, please come and speak to me.
We made some brief notes about medical tracers.
We started learning about nuclear fission.
Homework
Read P.222-3 of the textbook and watch this video. Add to your notes from the lesson.
Answer Q1-2 on P223 and hand in on Monday morning.
Finishing off test
Classwork
Those who missed the test did it.
Those who had done the test reserched some interesting stuff about radioactivity - we will share what you found next lesson.
Homework
No homework.
Recap + Test
Classwork
We looked at different situations where long and short half-lives are desired, and learned about carbon dating.
We did the test.
NOTE!!! If you missed the test today, please be prepared to do it on Monday after half term.
Homework
No homework.
Even more half-life
Classwork
We finished the other side of the worksheet from last lesson and went through the answers.
We put some people in the hot seat.
Homework
Continue your revision.
More Half-life
Classwork
We went through the graph from the HW.
We defined activity and discussed the difference between activity and count rate.
We started collecting some data to find the half-life of protactinium-234 - we will process the data in Excel next lesson.
Homework
Revise for test next week.
Half-life
Classwork
We modelled radioactive decay using dice.
Homework
Plot a graph of your results (number of rolls on the x-axis, dice remaining on the y-axis).
Find the half-life of your dice, in terms of number of throws (this can be a decimal - doesn't have to be a whole number of throws).
Imagine we did the same experiment again, but the dice had spots on TWO of the faces instead of one. Sketch the shape you would expect for this graph on you would expect for this graph on your other graph with a dotted line.
Do all of this on one sheet of graph paper and hand in on Tuesday morning before registration. Make sure your name is on it.
Half-life
Classwork
We went through the rest of the past paper questions sheet.
Read and make notes about how gamma sterilization works using this page (you don't have to make notes about the other methods like ethylene oxide and electron beams, but they are interesting to compare).
