This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, looks at the independence of vertical and horizontal motion. The crucial concept is that vertical acceleration does not affect horizontal velocity. This explains all projectile motion. There are a range of activities which include: • demonstrating and discussing...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode introduce students to the importance of circular motion and the need for a centripetal force to keep an object moving along a circular path. The activities include: * observing circular motion * whirling bucket and centripetal force * discussing examples of...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode contains demonstrations and practical activities through which students learn about the conditions for static equilibrium (excluding moments of forces).

Students look at:
• forces on a horizontal washing line with a weight in the middle...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students look at the forces involved when one vehicle impacts another object. This can be used to illustrate the forces, acceleration and deceleration involved. It considers the effect of the distance over which a force acts rather than the time of action of...

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...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode assists students to use a mathematical approach to simple harmonic motion, starting from its physical basis and the forces involved. In the activities, students look at: * restoring forces in simple harmonic motion (SHM) * graphical representations of SHM...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode enables students to appreciate that there is a continuous interchange between potential and kinetic energy during simple harmonic motion. Students are also shown the mathematical basis for calculating energy.

The activities include:
•...

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, 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...

A pair of videos that explains how to demonstrate the Newton’s Second Law required practical. The first demonstrates an experiment we can do in order to investigate the relationship between the acceleration of an object (with a constant mass) and the applied force.  The second explains how to interpret the data,...

This learning episode from the Institute of Physics, uses worked examples and discussion to help students gain an understanding of circular motion, including linear velocity, angular velocity and angular acceleration. The activities include: * discussing linear and angular velocity * calculating angular velocity *...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, uses demonstrations and worked examples to examine the forces involved in changing momentum. It introduces the concept of impulse.

The activities in the learning episode include:
* showing that impulse equals change in momentum
* a...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode considers the forces acting on a falling body in air and moves on to related experimental work.

The activities include:
• demonstrating the motion of...

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...

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...