viewing the solar eclipse

We spoke about the eclipse in class today.  It’s really important that you follow advice for watching the eclipse safely to avoid permanent damage to your eyes.

You can buy eclipse viewing glasses online.  They look like this

eclipse_glasses

and only cost a few pounds per pair.  Make sure any glasses you buy have the CE mark on them.

Here is one UK retailer of eclipse viewing glasses who still has them in stock.

Although we’re not in the totality (100%) zone, Thurso is well placed to get a good view.  Here is a simulation for Orkney, our view will be very similar.  Click on the picture to start to animation.

Kirkwall_United_Kingdom_2015Mar20_anim

AH uncertainties – post 1

Here is the first of the uncertainty documents to help you with your investigations.

The final page will help you to quantify some of the calbration uncertainties in instruments.  If you use these values, remember to reference Learning & Teaching Scotland as the original source of the booklet.

AH Outcome 3 images

Here are the diagrams you will need for your report. Cick on each link and then save the large image that opens up. You can rezise them once they have been imported into your report.

turntable

stand

radian sector

turntable and stand

Using Excel to crunch numbers

We’re going to the library for the next few periods. Download the instructions using the link below. Use your own LO3 data instead of the numbers I have provided.

By the end of this activity you will be able to;

  • manipulate raw data using formulae in cells
  • plot a graph of your results
  • add error bars to your graph
  • add a line of best fit
  • calculate the gradient and y-axis intercept of your line

AH Physics: wave-particle duality

We’ve been looking at wave-particle duality this week.

Here are 2 videos. The first is about electron diffraction (G. Thomson’s experiment) and De Broglie’s equation, while the second looks at the Davisson-Germer experiment.

Following on from our discussion of the Davisson-Germer experiment, I found a copy of Davisson’s Nobel Lecture online.  You can read it using the download link below.  You should be able to follow Davisson’s lecture as it ties in nicely with the modern physics element of the AH course.