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GCE Physics B
OCR Advanced GCE in Physics B: H559
Unit: G494
This Support Material booklet is designed to accompany the OCR Advanced GCE
specification in Physics B for teaching from September 2008.
© OCR 2007
Contents
Contents................................................................................................................................2
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
GCE Physics B (Advancing Physics): H559. G494 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork
Universe........................................................................................................................5
GCE Physics B (Advancing Physics): H559. G494 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork
Universe........................................................................................................................9
GCE Physics B (Advancing Physics): H559. G494 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork
Universe......................................................................................................................14
GCE Physics B (Advancing Physics): H559. G494 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork
Universe......................................................................................................................20
GCE Physics B (Advancing Physics): H559. G494 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork
Universe......................................................................................................................25
Other forms of Support.....................................................................................................28
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Introduction
Background
A new structure of assessment for A Level has been introduced, for first teaching from September
2008. Some of the changes include:
• The introduction of stretch and challenge (including the new A* grade at A2) – to ensure that
every young person has the opportunity to reach their full potential
• The reduction or removal of coursework components for many qualifications – to lessen the
volume of marking for teachers
• A reduction in the number of units for many qualifications – to lessen the amount of
assessment for learners
OCR has produced an overview document, which summarises the changes to Physics B. This can
be found at www.ocr.org.uk, along with the new specification.
In order to help you plan effectively for the implementation of the new specification we have
produced this Support Material booklet. This booklet is tied to the Physics B specification and
contains a Scheme of Work with incorporated lesson plans. Although this booklet differs in
appearance to that provided for other subjects, the overall content is the same. These Support
Materials are designed for guidance only and play a secondary role to the Specification.
Our Ethos
All our Support Materials were produced ‘by teachers for teachers’ in order to capture real life
current teaching practices and they are based around OCR’s revised specifications. The aim is for
the support materials to inspire teachers and facilitate different ideas and teaching practices.
• Word format – so that you can use it as a foundation to build upon and amend the content to
suit your teaching style and students’ needs.
GCE Physics B 3 of 29
The Scheme of Work provides examples of how to teach this unit and the teaching hours are
suggestions only. Some or all of it may be applicable to your teaching.
The Specification is the document on which assessment is based and specifies what content and
skills need to be covered in delivering the course. At all times, therefore, this Support Material
booklet should be read in conjunction with the Specification. If clarification on a particular point is
sought then that clarification should be found in the Specification itself.
= ICT Opportunity
This icon is used to illustrate when an activity could be taught using ICT
facilities.
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GCE PHYSICS B (ADVANCING PHYSICS): H559. G494 RISE AND FALL OF THE
CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE
SUGGESTED 20
TOPIC 10. CREATING MODELS
TEACHING TIME HOURS
SUGGESTED TEACHING AND
TOPIC OUTLINE SUGGESTED RESOURCES POINTS TO NOTE
HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES
Teaching time: 5 hours • Activity 10S - 'Models of forest fires and • All resources here refer to the A2 • The usefulness of models is gauged by
percolation' Student CD-ROM published by how accurately the predict behaviour.
• Activity 20S - 'Models of rabbit populations'. Institute of Physics Publishing. The Interspersing modelling activities with
10.1 What if Models Discuss the range of models in physics (ball and suggested teaching and homework practical activities will allow students to
introduced as artificial worlds, stick model of the rubber molecule used in AS, activities also refer to this CD-ROM, appreciate the links between models and
and also the A2 Student Book from reality. Encourage the students to talk
where objects obey rules. bubble raft models and mathematical models
such as the equations of motion) the same publishers. about the models they are using.
Teaching time: 6 hours • Activity 200P - Presentation 'The water • Display Material 60O - OHT 'A • If you have not prepared your own
pendulum' language to describe oscillations' mathematical model in Modellus it is useful
• Activity 210P - Presentation 'Swinging bar or • Display Material 70O - OHT 'Snapshots to have a go before embarking with activity
10.3: Clockwork models torsion pendulum' of the motion of a simple harmonic 270S. Excel can also be used as a
oscillator' modelling tool.
• Activity 220P - Presentation 'Oscillating ball'
10: Creating Models • Activity 230P - Presentation 'Mass oscillating • Display Material 80O - OHT 'Step by
between elastic barriers' step through the dynamics'
Teaching time: 2 hours • Activity 370S - Software Based 'Energy in • Display Material 130O - OHT 'Energy • As with all this section on models, it is
oscillators' flow in an oscillator' useful to mix experiments, computer
• Activity 340E - Experiment 'Resonance of a • Display Material 140O - OHT assisted modelling and pen and paper
10.4 Resonating hacksaw blade' 'Resonance' modelling to give students an
• Activity 350E - Experiment 'Resonance of a understanding of how a model applies to
• Video of Tahoma Narrows bridge an experimental situation.
mass on a spring'
This section focuses on the collapse is available at
• Question 210D - Data Handling 'Energy in a
need for an energy input simple oscillator' • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Na
through a periodic driving force rrows_Bridge
• Question 220S - Short Answer 'Bungee jumping'
to keep an oscillator going. The • Question 240S - Short Answer 'Oscillator energy
idea of resonance follows from and resonance'
this, when the driving frequency • Question 250S - Short Answer 'Resonance in
matches the natural frequency car suspension systems'
of the oscillator. • Activity 360E - Experiment ‘Finding a resonant
frequency accurately’
The section begins by
considering energy changes in • To stretch the most able:
Reading 40T - Text to Read 'Tacoma Narrows:
a mass-spring oscillator. Re-evaluating the evidence'
Examples of resonance are • Question 230X Exposition/Explanation 'Energy
shown and the students have in an oscillator’
This section puts together three • Question 52S - Short Answer ‘Doppler detection’ • Display Material 130S - Computer
• Screen 'Doppler shifts from part of a
elements: Question 55S - Short Answer 'Doppler shifts in
galaxy'
astronomy'
• simple experimentation on • Hermann Bondi “Relativity and
• Question 60S - Short Answer 'Binary stars'
wave travel times, and on Common Sense” Dover edition 1980
examples of Doppler shifts, • Question 70S - Data Handling 'Using orbital data ISBN 0-486-24021-5.
to calculate masses'
• the argument leading to the
classical approximation to
the Doppler shift,
• examples of information
obtained from radar and
Doppler observations,
including a calculation of the
mass of a black hole
12.2 Special Relativity • Activity 50S - Software Based ‘Investigating the • N David Mermin “It’s About Time – • Remember that this is very much an
relativistic Doppler shift’ Understanding Einstein’s Relativity” introduction! You will find the books listed
• Activity 60S - Software Based ‘Investigating the Princeton University Press 2005. ISBN useful and some students may also enjoy
Teaching time: 4 hours time dilation factor γ ’ 978-0-691-12201-4 reading through them. The Advancing
• Edwin F Taylor & John Archibald Physics Students’ Book will give you an idea
• Activity 100S - Software Based 'The relativistic of the level required and the resources on the
Wheeler “Spacetime Physics:
1−v/c
A second consequence, that
time measured by a clock
13.1 Up, up and away • Activity 10E - Experiment 'The density of air' • http://advancingphysics.iop.org • These ideas can be put across quite
• Activity 20E - Experiment 'Changes in volume, • contains many further ideas swiftly, culminating in the ideal gas
changes in pressure' relationship.
Teaching time: 5 hours • You may also find useful material at the
• Activity 30E - Experiment 'Changes in ‘teaching Advancing Physics’ pages at
temperature, changes in pressure' http://www.iop.org/activity/education
This part of the unit builds upon • Activity 40E - Experiment 'Changes in • Display Material 10O - OHT 'Boyle’s
ideas from GCSE and develops temperature, changes in volume' Law, density and number of molecules'
an understanding of the • Question 10W - Warm-up ‘Absolute temperature • Display Material 20O - OHT 'Changing
macroscopic behaviour of • Question 20W - Warm-up ‘Boyle’s law’ pressure and volume by changing
idealised gases. This gives an temperature'
• Question 20E - Estimate 'Gases and mass'
opportunity to engage in • Display Material 30O - OHT 'One law,
• Question 30X - Exposition-Explanation 'Pumping
practical activity that builds a summarising empirical laws'
up my tyres'
picture of gases that can be
modelled in the next section. • Question 40S - Short Answer 'Using the ideal
gas relationships'
Students will consider:
• Activity 50S - Software Based 'Exploring the
• Boyle’s law p ∝ 1/V, p ∝ rules for pressure'
mass (or number of
• Activity 60S - Software Based 'Exploring the
molecules) rules for volume'
• Charles’ law V ∝ T
• Pressure law p ∝ T
• Absolute temperature, kelvin
scale
• Display Material 70O - OHT 'The speed • This section contains conceptual ideas
• Activity 100S - Software Based 'Molecules in a that need a little bedding down –
This section develops a box' of a nitrogen molecule'
mathematical examples help but try to
mathematical model for gases. • Activity 110S - Software Based 'Do the • Display material 95O - OHT ‘Random ensure that students have a clear idea of
It develops the ideas of the molecules know?' walk’ the concepts as well.
kinetic theory in a simple • Activity 120S - Software Based 'Watching atoms • Display Material 100O - OHT
manner using ideas of cause pressure' ‘Boltzmann constant and gas
momentum transfer that molecules’
• The questions 60S and 70S below can be used
students met in chapter 10. to take students through the kinetic theory
Students will consider: argument. The first prepares the way with a
numerical example.
• The relationship
• Question 60S - Short Answer 'Kinetic theory by
1
pV = Nm v 2 numerical example'
3
• Question 70S - Short Answer 'Kinetic theory
for the kinetic model of a algebraically'
gas, and the meaning of root
• Question 30W - Warm-up ‘Molecular motion’
mean square speed
• Question 40W - Warm-up ‘The ideal gas
• The average (translational) equation’
kinetic energy of a particle in • Activity 140S - Software Based '
a gas is equal to 3/2 kT Compressing a gas, changing pressure'
where k is the Boltzmann • Weaker students could benefit from the
constant and T is the kelvin reminders about momentum in:
temperature
• Question 50S - Short Answer 'Momentum and
• How the kinetic model collisions with a wall'
explains the gas laws • Able students will benefit from the following
summarised by the more sophisticated way of deriving the kinetic
relationship pV = NkT theory:
• How to estimate the root • Activity 170S - Software Based 'Diffusion from
random motion'
mean square speed of a gas
molecule • Activity 190S - Software Based 'Simulated
random walk'
• About evidence supporting
the kinetic model of a gas:
expansion into a vacuum,
diffusion, Brownian motion
• That a single molecule in a
gas moves in a random walk
as a result of the many
collisions it makes with other
molecules
13.1 Energy in Matter • Activity 210E - Experiment 'A solar panel' • Display Material 120O - OHT • This short section gives an opportunity for
• Activity 220E - Experiment 'Measuring the 'Transferring energy to molecules' some practical work and can be used to
specific thermal capacity of a metal' promote a discussion of the conservation
Teaching time: 2 hours of energy. The Advancing Physics
• Activity 230P - Presentation 'Warming and teachers’ guide has some useful ideas
cooling by pushing and pulling' about this area.
This section considers energy in • Question 110S - Short Answer 'Specific thermal
solids and liquids, following on capacity: Some questions'
from the consideration of gases • Question 120C - Comprehension 'The wonderful
in the previous sections. The oddity of water'
14.2 The Boltzmann Factor • Activity 150E - Experiment 'A race depending • http://advancingphysics.iop.org • This section introduces the students
only on chance' • contains many further ideas to statistical thinking – statistical
• Activity 160S - Software Based 'Energy shared physics is thought by some to be as
Teaching time: 4 hours • You may also find useful material at the important an advance as quantum
among particles' ‘teaching Advancing Physics’ pages at mechanics or general relativity! The
• Activity 170S - Software Based 'Getting lucky: • http://www.iop.org/activity/education crucial insight is that individual
This is an introduction to a Climbing an energy ladder by chance' particles ‘don’t care’ and behave
• The material in the Teachers’ Guide is very
fascinating area of study. The • Activity 230E - Experiment 'Energy needed to randomly but the behaviour of large
useful in this area.
evaporate a molecule of water' groups of randomly behaving
students consider the • Display Material 40O - OHT 'Climbing a ladder particles can be predicted with great
Boltzmann factor as the ratio of • Activity 240E - Experiment 'Conduction in a by chance' precision.
numbers of particles in two semiconductor'
• Display Material 50O - OHT 'An exponential
quantum states differing by • Question 50W - Warm-up ‘Probability and atmosphere'
energy ε and that the origin of equilibrium’
• Display Material 60O - OHT 'Examples of
the Boltzmann factor is the • Question 60W - Warm-up ‘Nuclear fusion in the activation processes'
small probability of repeatedly Sun’
• Display Material 70O - OHT 'The Boltzmann
gaining extra energy at random • Question 90S - Short Answer 'The Boltzmann factor'
from a large collection of other factor: fB = exp(-ε / kT)'
• Display Material 80O - OHT 'How the
particles. • Question 60X - Explanation-Exposition 'Thinking Boltzmann factor changes with temperature'
To a first approximation the rate about the Boltzmann factor'
In order to help you implement the new Physics B specification effectively, OCR offers a
comprehensive package of support. This includes:
OCR Training
A series of FREE half-day training events are being run during Autumn 2007, to give you an
overview of the new specifications.
These full-day events will run from Spring 2008 and will look at the new specifications in more
depth, with emphasis on first delivery.
Additional events are also available through our partner, Mill Wharf Training. It offers a range of
courses on innovative teaching practice and whole-school issues - www.mill-wharf-training.co.uk.
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Interchange
OCR Interchange has been developed to help you to carry out day to day administration functions
online, quickly and easily. The site allows you to register and enter candidates online. In addition,
you can gain immediate and free access to candidate information at your convenience. Sign up at
https://interchange.ocr.org.uk
GCE Physics B 29 of 29