This article was written by Ludvig Nuclear fusion is arguably one of the most important reactions that takes place. All elements, including those that make up our bodies, are the results of nuclear fusion. Briefly, nuclear fusion is the merging together of atomic nuclei. Bonding together even the lightest nuclei e.g. hydrogen and helium, requires …
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Category:Physics
Chip Cup Rockets…
The rockets have quite a wide cross-section so there is lots of drag – that’s why they ones with smaller motors don’t go very far. The explosion from the motors before they land is designed to push out a parachute. These simple designs don’t have parachutes but it is quite simple to add one. In …
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Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (Part Two)…
As promised some months ago, here is some further information about Einstein’s theory of relativity. This is not on the Common Entrance syllabus but if you have ever wondered what E=mc2 actually means, then watch the following. It would probably be a good idea to read this post first. Don’t expect to understand it all …
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Moon Crash…
Am I the only one to have missed that there is a major event happening in space on Friday 9th October at about midday? NASA is crashing a space craft into a crater at the pole of the moon. Four minutes later they are flying another vehicle through the plume of dust and debris that …
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Doppler Effect…
For more on light, and the terminology used to describe waves, you might like to look here, here and here. Meanwhile, here is an excellent explanation of the Doppler effect. As always, if you have any questions just post them in the comments below.
Raindrops…
This is a lovely video from MinuteEarth – a YouTube site all about our planet. It is a great explanation of how raindrops form. Apparently they could not do it without all the tiny bits of dust and other particles floating in the air. This idea that water needs something to get condensation going also applies to the …
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Pressure…
I have never really written much about pressure on the blog. Perhaps it has always seemed a little dull but questions do come up about pressure so I ought to have a go. It ties in nicely with the posts about forces because pressure is force applied per square centimetre. At C.E. pressure will always …
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Units and Calculations…
There are not a great many types of calculation you will be asked to do at this level. You may be asked about speed, density, pressure or perhaps calculating weight from mass and the force of gravity. The question will usually give you enough information for you to work out what sums you need to …
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The Hills Are Alive With…
Sound travels as waves at about 340 m/s in air and if you can’t remember some of the terminology about waves you might look here at a previous post. You could also look at this excellent page to play with an animation exploring amplitude, frequency and wavelength. (Don’t forget that you can also use the …
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Gold Part Two…
[This is follow up to Gold Part One.] A pupil asked… Will the earth naturally produce more gold for us to extract? How long will this take? How long is the half-life of gold and what does it decompose into? Would it be possible to industrially produce gold from different atoms? A. Pupil Esq. When …
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