Activities and resources
Skills Tasks, Slides and Practical Investigations for Year 11 Physics (Modules 1-4) are available for students Home page at https://sites.google.com/wccs.nsw.edu.au/wccsphysics/home.
1. Practical Investigation 1 - Mechanical waves
Aim: To explain the role of the medium in the propagation of mechanical waves and the transfer of energy involved in the propagation of mechanical waves.
Students complete the investigation and then write answers to the 12 questions. They should submit their answers at the end of the double period.
Students explain Wave Characteristics.
- Most information about our surroundings arrives as a wave: sounds are transported to our ears; light to our eyes and electromagnetic radiation to our mobile phones.
- Through wave motion, energy can be transferred from a source to a receiver without the transfer of matter between the two points.
Students view a picture that shows a snap shot of the waves on the surface of the water.
Activities and resources
Skills Tasks, Slides and Practical Investigations for Year 11 Physics (Modules 1-4) are available for students Home page at https://sites.google.com/wccs.nsw.edu.au/wccsphysics/home.
1. Practical Investigation 1 - Mechanical waves
Aim: To explain the role of the medium in the propagation of mechanical waves and the transfer of energy involved in the propagation of mechanical waves.
Students complete the investigation and then write answers to the 12 questions. They should submit their answers at the end of the double period.
Students explain Wave Characteristics.
- Most information about our surroundings arrives as a wave: sounds are transported to our ears; light to our eyes and electromagnetic radiation to our mobile phones.
- Through wave motion, energy can be transferred from a source to a receiver without the transfer of matter between the two points.
Students view a picture that shows a snap shot of the waves on the surface of the water.
Students enact a Mexican wave.
Students are able to explain the difference between progressive and standing waves.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources posted .
Students apply their understanding of different types of waves to earthquakes and the after-shocks.
Extension: If students have completed all Skills Tasks, they may attempt some additional Advanced Questions by completing "Waves review practice questions with answers" on the Inquiry Questions page.
Students use the interactive app "Wave on a String" at https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-string_en.html to engage.
Students explore and analyse relationships between frequency and period using both slinkies (long springs), swings and rotation* (e.g. stopper on a string with a stopwatch). This does not need to be a full practical investigation, but simply a familiarisation by students of how simple equipment can give profound results. * Note: This is not Year 11 content, but an important concept for Year 12 work on circular motion.
Students determine the period, frequency, amplitude and speed for a graph of displacement vs. time, given the wavelength is 1.25 m. See PPt for details.
Students are able to explain the principle of superposition with respect to two different waves.
Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources posted .
Students elaborate by completing Exercise Set 2 - The wave equation.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 2 - Solving wave problems, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students are challenged with the question: "Can you compare different types of waves?"
Students make a list of the differences between standing waves and progressive waves.
Extension: If students have completed all Skills Tasks, they may attempt some additional Advanced Questions by completing "Waves review practice questions with answers" on the Inquiry Questions page.
We are learning to:
explain the behaviour of waves in a variety of situations by investigating the phenomena of reflection
Success Criteria:
We will be able to draw a diagram with a series of wavefronts moving towards and reflected away from a solid boundary
Ask: How do waves behave? This is the second investigation question for this module.
Students watch:
Ripple Free app see Wave Properties (3:37)
Stationary and progressive waves (3:21)
Wave reflection and standing waves (0:43)
Students explore various ways water waves in a demonstration of waves in a wave tank (using the old OHP to project onto the screen) reflect, refract, diffract and interfere (superposition).
When analysing their investigation, students give an explanation of differences and similarities between the different phenomena.
Reflection from a HARD boundary: at a fixed (hard) boundary, the displacement remains zero and the reflected wave changes its polarity (undergoes a 180° phase change).
Use http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/demos/reflect/reflect.html.Reflection from a SOFT boundary: at a free (soft) boundary, the restoring force is zero and the reflected wave has the same polarity (no phase change) as the incident wave.
Students explore diagrams that show wave fronts of waves reflecting off solid surfaces at an angle. They apply this to sound waves and walls/cliffs.
Students explore refraction of light using Pink Floyd's famous album cover (or similar) to show how (as Newton originally discovered) that white light can be split into all the spectrum of visible colours of light.
Students are able to explain the laws of refraction and give some common examples, e.g. a spoon in a glass of water.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources posted .
Students are able to apply refraction concepts to apparent depth problems, e.g. the archer fish, glass to air with internal reflection, water waves, optic fibres, etc.
Students complete Exercise Set 2 - Wave equations.
Students explore how progressive and standing waves are different by completing Practical Investigation 3 - Progressive and standing waves.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students complete Exercise Set 3 - Behaviour of waves.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 3 - Explaining wave behaviours, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students explore resonance in mechanical systems and the relationships between driving frequency, natural frequency of the oscillating system, amplitude of motion and transfer/transformation of energy within the system by completing Practical Investigation 4 - Resonance.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Ask: What evidence suggests that sound is a mechanical wave? This is the third investigation question for this module.
Students explore the pitch and loudness of a sound to its wave characteristics by completing Practical Investigation 5 - Sound characteristics.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SemQS4RLeFU (2:12) and watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB8w2FvPsBA (4:19)
They answer the question: How would you be able to model sound waves with just you and your friends?
Students explore the behaviour of sound in air by modelling sound waves as longitudinal waves. This can be done by students standing next to each other shoulder to shoulder with one student pushing the end of the line. This represents a pulse. Then students can explore further by using slinkies to model sound waves. They can then research acoustics in concert halls, e.g. at the Opera House.
Students can explain how the displacement of air molecules is related to variations in air pressure. They are able to identify the parts of longitudinal waves on animated gifs and other diagrams.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students are able to explain how the displacement of air molecules is related to variations in pressure.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students complete Exercise Set 4 - Sound in air.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 4 - Modelling sound, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students explore the relationship between distance and intensity of sound by completing Practical Investigation 6 - Sound intensity.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students explore and analyse the reflection, diffraction, resonance and superposition of sound waves by completing Practical Investigation 7 - Interference of sound waves.
Students can explain how diffraction causes serious problems for telescopes and microscopes, using diagrams to help with their explanations.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students use graphing techniques to add waves either constructively or destructively to show the resultant superposition of the two contributing waves.
Students explore the behaviour of standing waves on strings and/or in pipes to relate quantitatively the fundamental and harmonic frequencies of the waves that are produced to the physical characteristics (e.g. length, mass, tension, wave velocity) of the medium by completing Practical Investigation 8 - Music and harmonics.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students watch “Beats Physics” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ1q8XvOW6g (2:26) and “Beat Frequency Physics Problems” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-OMq4QsPfY (3:38).
Students explore the Doppler effect by watching “The Doppler Effect: what does motion do to waves?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OnBYrbCjY (3:01) and “Conceptual Physics: The Doppler effect” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3MkZjlacaI (3:11) - it’s ! Students also watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYt73-EshDI (13:50) - taking notes as it is presented.
Students are able to explain using their vocal sounds a model of the sound of a police siren (or motorbike) going past the stationary observer at speed.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students complete Exercise Set 5 - Beats and the Doppler Effect.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 5 - Analysing sound waves, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Ask: What properties can be demonstrated when using the ray model of light? This is the fourth investigation question for this module.
Students explore and analyse the formation of images in mirrors and lenses via reflection and refraction using the ray model of light by completing Practical Investigation 9 - Images.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students explore the refraction and total internal reflection of light by completing Practical Investigation 10 - Total internal reflection.
Students are introduced to optic fibres and asked: How can light be reflected internally?
Students use prisms and other shapes to explore refractive properties of plastics and glass.
Students can explain how Snell’s law can be used in experiments and calculations to find out the refractive index of a material.
Students can calculate the refractive index by using Snell's law given data in Worked Examples 1 and 2.
Students can apply Snell's law to find the angle of incidence or refraction for a ray of light given data in Worked Examples 3 and 4.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Extension: Advanced students interested in acoustics may show how reflection, refraction and interference applies to music concerts.
Students complete Exercise Set 6 - Reflection.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 6 - Solving reflection problems, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students explore the phenomenon of the dispersion of light by completing Practical Investigation 11 - Dispersion of light.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students explore the relationship between inverse square law, the intensity of light and the transfer of energy by completing Practical Investigation 12 - Light intensity.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students explore and analyse interactions in an inelastic collision, and compare these results to an elastic collision by completing a Practical Investigation 4 - Collisions.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students complete Exercise Set 7 - Refraction and Snell’s Law.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 7 - Solving refraction problems, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Ask: How are temperature, thermal energy and particle motion related? This is the fifth investigation question for this module.
We are learning to
explain the relationship between the temperature of an object and the kinetic energy of the particles within it.
Success Criteria
We will be able to write an explanation relating kinetic energy of particles in an object to its average kinetic energy and temperature.
The teacher lights a match.
How are temperature, thermal energy and particle motion related?
What are some key words from the topic “mechanics”?
Can you think of some words that relate to “thermodynamics”?
Students explore the difference between mechanics and thermodynamics. While mechanics deals with the mechanical (or external) energies of systems and is governed by Newton’s laws, thermodynamics deals with the internal energy of systems and is governed by a new set of laws.
Students are able to explain that temperature is one of the seven SI base standards. Physicists measure temperature on the Kelvin scale. Apparently the temperature of a body can be raised without limit. However, temperature cannot be lowered without limit, and the limiting low temperature is taken as the zero of the Kelvin scale. Room temperature is about 298 K.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
In Genesis 1:31, God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. This includes the "just right" habitable zone for life in our solar system.
Students are able to identify the different temperature scales: Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin.
Students dig into the concept of "heat" and determine whether it is a noun or a verb, relating it to the particle theory of matter (from Year 7).
Students also dig into the concept of "temperature" as a measure of heat. They are able to express temperature in terms of the average translational kinetic energy of the molecules, the so-called "kinetic temperature". Temperature is also a measure of how fast the particles of matter are moving, that is, the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter. When matter is heated, its particles absorb energy and move faster. When matter is cooled, its particles lose energy and slow down.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students elaborate by completing Exercise Set 8 - Thermal equilibrium.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 8 - Explaining temperature, kinetic energy and thermal equilibrium, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students elaborate by completing Exercise Set 9 - Specific heat capacity.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 9 - Analysing specific heat capacity, kinetic energy and thermal equilibrium, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students explore energy transfers of conduction, convection and radiation by completing Practical Investigation 13 - Heat transfers.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students explore the latent heat involved in a change of state by completing Practical Investigation 14 - Latent heat.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students complete Exercise Set 14 - Conduction.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 10 - Modelling conduction, kinetic energy and thermal equilibrium, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.
Students are able to explain:
The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics: If two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third, they are also in thermal equilibrium with each other.
The First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be converted from one form to another with the interaction of heat, work and internal energy, but it cannot be created nor destroyed, except by God. Using symbols: ΔU = Q − W.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics: Heat flows spontaneously from a substance at a higher temperature to a substance at a lower temperature and does not flow spontaneously in the other direction.
The Third Law of Thermodynamics: It is not possible to lower the temperature of any system to absolute zero in a finite number of steps.
Students can explain (not just recite) Q = mcΔT.
Students can explain (not just recite) ∆Q/∆t = kAΔT/d.
Explicit strategies for differentiation: Support strategies for students who are not processing content well includes using Simple resources.
Students are able to work through Worked Example 1 - Temperature conversion, Worked Example 2 - Average kinetic energy, Worked Example 3 - Specific heat, Worked Example 4 - Coefficient of performance, Worked Example 5 - Transferring heat, Worked Example 6 - Conducting heat, Worked Example 7 - Convection.
Students can apply these thermal concepts to radiation of energy and Wien's Law (not required in Year 11, but important in Year 12 work).
Students are able to work through Worked Example 8 - Radiation and Stefan-Boltzmann Law and Worked Example 9 - Radiation and Wien’s Law.
Students complete Exercise Set 11 - Thermal conductivity.
Students evaluate their understanding and skills by completing Skills Task 11 - Solving heat problems, kinetic energy and thermal equilibrium, which are submitted on Google classroom and returned with feedback.