In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, students use Hooke's law to demonstrate the strength and stiffness of materials when subject to linear tensile or compressive forces. The activities include: • recap of Hooke's law • explaining tension and extension in a variety of materials • explaining...

Through demonstrations and discussions, this learning episode from the Institute of Physics helps students to understand the main features of simple harmonic motion. This is in preparation to moving to a more mathematical description. Activities include: * observing simple harmonic motion (SHM) * discussing the...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode will help students to see how energy moves from an oscillating system and how this results in a decrease in amplitude that follows an exponential decay pattern.

The activities include:
• observing water oscillating in a u-tube
• the motion of...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode introduces the idea that vibrations can give rise to disturbances travelling outwards, i.e. to progressive waves. This illustrates some of the basic properties of waves. The activities include: • investigating transverse and longitudinal waves in a spring •...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, help students to develop their idea of electromagnetic radiation and polarisation. The basic ideas are developed through demonstrations and experiments. The approach is non-mathematical. The activities include: * using polarising filters to observe polarisation...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode helps students to observe total internal reflection (TIR) as a consequence of refraction. Students use a semi-circular block to observe TIR and see how a fibre optic can be used to transmit information.

The activities include:
* ray tracing...

This learning episode from the Institute of Physics covers the constructive and destructive interference of waves.

Through discussion, student experiments and teacher demonstrations, students look at:
* simple interference of waves
* waves from two sound sources
* demonstration of Young's...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students look at standing waves in musical instruments and measure their wavelength. Microwaves are used to estimate the speed of light.

The activities include:
* demonstrating waves in a rope
* how superposition results in standing waves...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, introduces field strength and potential energy for electric fields. Comparisons with gravitational fields are also made.

The activities include:
* discussion of field strength
* worked examples on field strength
* discussion about...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students look at how a magnetic field can be quantified by measuring the force on a conductor. It illustrates how Flemming's left hand rule can be used to find the direction of the force. The activities include: 

• investigating the relationship...

Some common electromagnetic machines include motors, generators and transformers. In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, all three are described. Students discuss torque, back electromotive force (emf) and power. The activities include looking at:

• a model motor
• motor torque...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, these discussions and demonstrations show that in a generator, motion of a conductor in a magnetic field induces an electromotive force (emf). In a transformer, it is the changing field that induces an emf in a fixed conductor.

The activities in this learning episode...

This learning episode, produced by the Institute of Physics, helps students to understand the photoelectric effect. A range of activities are described and these include: * demonstration of the photoelectric effect * discussion to summarise the phenomenon * using the photoelectric equation * the Millikan experiment...

Through demonstrations, discussions and worked examples, students are introduced to the phenomenon of wave-particle duality. Students learn that electrons, which are often thought of as particles, can sometimes behave as waves.

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, looks at Melde's experiment. It uses the analogy of a standing wave in a stretched elastic cord before going on to introduce the idea of standing waves within an atom.

The activities include:
* Melde’s experiment
* electron waves in atoms...