Produced by the Institute of Physics, through demonstrations, discussions and worked examples, students consider the use of lasers and the underlying theory of how they work.

The activities in this learning episode look at:
* demonstrating a laser beam
* the uses of lasers
* safety with...

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...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode introduces the ubiquitous nature of radioactivity and considers its detection. It draws on students’ previous knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of technical terminology.

The activities include:
• demonstrating the detection of background...

In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, the properties of ionizing radiation are introduced through a consideration of safety.

Students consider the ionising property of different radiations in relation to how this makes them dangerous to living things. They see that radiation with...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students use discussion, demonstration and worked examples to look at the exponential decay and radioactive half-life of a range of nuclides. These include sources of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

The activities in this learning episode include:...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, discussions and demonstrations encourage students to apply their knowledge of charged particles and fields to understand particle accelerators and detectors.

The activities in this learning episode look at:
* acceleration in an electric field
* researching...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students see how cloud and bubble chambers can be used to detect sub-atomic particles. It explores the principle that, in general, detectors work by analyzing particle collisions using conservation laws (momentum, energy, charge).

The activities in...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, uses laser light to demonstrate the phenomenon of diffraction and then applies this understanding to x-rays, Bragg's law and crystallography.

The activities in this episode look at:
• students’ knowledge of X-rays
• diffraction and the limits...

From the Institute of Physics, these demonstrations, computer model and associated discussions help students to look at Brownian motion as evidence for the particulate nature of matter, and the macroscopic gas laws. The learning episode looks at: * Brownian motion and what it tells us about gases * investigating...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode includes discussions, demonstrations and questions which introduce students to thermodynamics. These include compressing and expanding gases, adiabatic and isothermal changes.

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students see that what we know about the Universe comes from observations which rely on the radiation and particles that reach us on Earth. Students discuss astronomical observations including spectra and the information they can carry.

The activities...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, these activities demonstrate the Doppler effect.

Using sound and microwaves, the activities illustrate how changes in wavelength of spectral lines allow us to determine the motion of astronomical objects relative to ourselves.

The activities include:
*...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, in this learning episode, students look at the expanding universe by examining galaxies, Hubble's observations and cosmological red shift. A simple activity allows students to model Hubble's law.

Through discussion and activities, students look at:
* observing a...

These downloadable videos and animations are part of the multimedia package Stuff and Substance, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). They can be used to distinguish between boiling and evaporation of water below boiling point.

Boiling forms a pure sample of water in the gas state (...