Gravitation

We use gravitational fields to introduce some of the ideas you need for electric and magnetic fields later on.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-3/Newton-s-Law-of-Universal-Gravitation
We link the gravitation and centripetal force to derive Kepler’s laws and can use it to measure the mass on objects.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-4/Kepler-s-Three-Laws
http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age16-19/Mechanics/Gravitation/text/Newtons_law_of_gravitation/index.html
We discussed how we can think of gravity as a distortion of space-time: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MTY1Kje0yLg.
We also saw the link between force, field strength, potential, potential energy and drew some diagrams.
http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Physics/Forces,_Fields_and_Energy/Gravitational_fields
http://www.xtremepapers.com/revision/a-level/physics/gravitation.php
http://www.studyphysics.ca/2007/20/02_dynamics/30_field_strength.pdf
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQpC725pcA

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Measuing centripetal force

The practical today (method here: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics/experimental-test-f-mv²r) showed the importance of practical skills. We identified the largest source of uncertainty (the radius was hardest to measure; v^2 the term with the largest percentage uncertainty) and decided ways of improving the practical.
Some extra resources:
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics/test-mv²r-turntable
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Centrifugal_Force_vs_Centripetal_Force
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=weeiZjz-Q-o
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yAfg_8OLjvs – that is not how you pronounce centrifugal

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Centripetal acceleration

When stuff goes in circles there must be a force causing this to happen. This force towards the centre is a centripetal.
Key ideas: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/cf.html
In a circus: http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/classroom/circus-physics/centripetal-acceleration/
Here is the derivation we looked at: http://dev.physicslab.org/Document.aspx?doctype=3&filename=CircularMotion_CentripetalAcceleration.xml

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Kepler

Kepler’s laws describe planetary motion. His work is part of the shift from geocentric to heliocentric models of the solar system. You are expected to know evidence for them (retrograde motion etc.)

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-4/Kepler-s-Three-Laws
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/kepler.html
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4p3Np6eivZ8
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GcKiG-CuvtA

It also builds towards the work we will be doing on gravitation. To get you thinking: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MTY1Kje0yLg.

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SHM

Hello all,

Since we have started the A2 part of the course we have been talking about how we model real life phenomena using mathematics. We have looking into what a simple harmonic ossilator is, resonance and damping. Here are a few resources to allow you to go into more depth:

SHM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Physics_(Advancing_Physics)/Simple_Harmonic_Motion
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Physics_(Advancing_Physics)/Energy_in_Simple_Harmonic_Motion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVtyRt0CSSw

Resonance
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Physics_(Advancing_Physics)/Resonance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE827gwnnk4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urYWaHfel6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXyG68_caV4

Damping
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Physics_(Advancing_Physics)/Damping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O6ZV2xgqhM

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