Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Created for the new 2015 OCR AS and A level specifications, our new Student Books cover the topics comprehensively, developing scientific thinking in your students, providing them with a deep understanding of the subject and creating confident, independent scientists.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Cover | ||
| Contents | 4 | ||
| How to use this book | 6 | ||
| Module 1: Development of practical skills in physics | 8 | ||
| Chapter 1.1: Practical skills assessed in a written examination | 8 | ||
| 1.1.1 Planning and experimental design | 10 | ||
| The importance of good design | 10 | ||
| Use of appropriate apparatus and techniques | 10 | ||
| Range of measurements | 12 | ||
| Identifying the variables that must be controlled | 12 | ||
| Evaluating the experimental method | 12 | ||
| 1.1.2 Implementation | 13 | ||
| Using a wide range of practical apparatus correctly | 13 | ||
| Selecting suitable equipment | 14 | ||
| Careful measurement | 14 | ||
| Presenting observations and data | 14 | ||
| 1.1.3 Analysing data | 16 | ||
| Dealing with anomalies or unexpected results | 16 | ||
| Using mathematical skills to analyse quantitative data | 16 | ||
| 1.1.4 Significant figures | 18 | ||
| Introduction | 18 | ||
| Significant figures and decimal places | 18 | ||
| Choosing how to best write numbers to show the number of significant figures | 19 | ||
| 1.1.5 Plotting and interpreting graphs | 20 | ||
| Introduction | 20 | ||
| 1.1.6 Evaluating experiments | 23 | ||
| What is evaluation? | 23 | ||
| Limitations and improvements | 24 | ||
| Putting it all together to draw a conclusion | 25 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Assessing a practical write-up | 26 | ||
| Practice questions | 28 | ||
| Module 2: Foundations of physics | 30 | ||
| Chapter 2.1: Physical quantities, units and measurements | 30 | ||
| 2.1.1 Physical quantities and units | 32 | ||
| Physical quantities | 32 | ||
| Units | 32 | ||
| 2.1.2 Estimating physical quantities | 34 | ||
| What is estimation? | 34 | ||
| Estimates and orders of magnitude | 34 | ||
| 2.1.3 Systematic errors and random errors | 36 | ||
| What is an error? | 36 | ||
| Random errors | 36 | ||
| Systematic errors | 37 | ||
| 2.1.4 Precision and accuracy | 38 | ||
| Introduction | 38 | ||
| Accuracy and precision defined | 38 | ||
| 2.1.5 Absolute and percentage uncertainties | 40 | ||
| Introduction | 40 | ||
| Absolute uncertainty | 40 | ||
| 2.1.6 Graphical treatment of errors and uncertainties | 42 | ||
| Using graphs | 42 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Standardisation | 44 | ||
| Practice questions | 46 | ||
| Chapter 2.2: Nature of quantities | 48 | ||
| 2.2.1 Scalar and vector quantities | 50 | ||
| Scalar and vector quantities | 50 | ||
| 2.2.2 Scalar and vector calculations | 52 | ||
| Scalar arithmetic | 52 | ||
| Vector arithmetic | 52 | ||
| 2.2.3 Resolving vectors | 54 | ||
| Resolving vectors | 54 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Scalars and vectors | 56 | ||
| Practice questions | 58 | ||
| Module 3: Forces and motion | 60 | ||
| Chapter 3.1: Motion | 60 | ||
| 3.1.1 Definitions in kinematics | 62 | ||
| Introduction | 62 | ||
| 3.1.2 Graphs of motion | 64 | ||
| Displacement-time graphs | 64 | ||
| Velocity-time graphs | 64 | ||
| 3.1.3 Constant acceleration equations | 66 | ||
| 3.1.4 Free fall and projectile motion | 68 | ||
| 3.1.5 Measurement of g | 71 | ||
| Investigating motion | 71 | ||
| 3.1.6 Car stopping distances | 73 | ||
| Introduction | 73 | ||
| Thinking distance and braking distance | 73 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Falling from the sky | 76 | ||
| Practice questions | 78 | ||
| Chapter 3.2: Forces in action | 80 | ||
| 3.2.1 Force and the newton | 82 | ||
| Introduction | 82 | ||
| Force, mass and acceleration | 82 | ||
| The four fundamental forces of nature | 83 | ||
| 3.2.2 Dynamics | 84 | ||
| Introduction | 84 | ||
| 3.2.3 Drag and terminal velocity | 86 | ||
| Introduction | 86 | ||
| Terminal velocity and drag | 87 | ||
| 3.2.4 Equilibrium | 88 | ||
| Introduction | 88 | ||
| 3.2.5 Turning forces | 90 | ||
| The moment of a force | 90 | ||
| The principle of moments | 90 | ||
| 3.2.6 Centre of mass | 93 | ||
| Introduction | 93 | ||
| Centre of gravity | 93 | ||
| 3.2.7 Density | 95 | ||
| Introduction | 95 | ||
| Archimedes’ principle | 97 | ||
| 3.2.8 Pressure | 98 | ||
| Introduction | 98 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: The physics of football | 100 | ||
| Practice questions | 102 | ||
| Chapter 3.3: Work, energy and power | 104 | ||
| 3.3.1 Work and the joule | 106 | ||
| Work | 106 | ||
| 3.3.2 The conservation of energy | 108 | ||
| Energy | 108 | ||
| The principle of conservation of energy | 108 | ||
| Accounting for all the input energy | 109 | ||
| 3.3.3 Potential and kinetic energy | 110 | ||
| Gravitational potential energy | 110 | ||
| Kinetic energy | 110 | ||
| Exchange between Ep and Ek | 111 | ||
| 3.3.4 Power and the watt | 112 | ||
| Power | 112 | ||
| 3.3.5 Efficiency | 114 | ||
| Introduction | 114 | ||
| Sankey diagrams | 115 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Energy solutions | 116 | ||
| Practice questions | 118 | ||
| Chapter 3.4: Materials | 120 | ||
| 3.4.1 Deformation of materials | 122 | ||
| Elastic and plastic deformation | 122 | ||
| Tensile and compressive forces | 122 | ||
| 3.4.2 Hooke’s law | 125 | ||
| Hooke’s law and the force constant | 125 | ||
| The work done to stretch a wire | 125 | ||
| Energy stored in a plastic deformation | 126 | ||
| 3.4.3 The Young modulus | 127 | ||
| Introduction | 127 | ||
| Stress and strain | 127 | ||
| 3.4.4 Categorisation of materials | 130 | ||
| Material variety | 130 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Building for the future | 132 | ||
| Practice questions | 134 | ||
| Chapter 3.5: Newton’s laws of motion | 136 | ||
| 3.5.1 Newton’s three laws of motion | 138 | ||
| Introduction | 138 | ||
| Newton’s first law | 138 | ||
| Newton’s second law | 138 | ||
| Newton’s third law of motion | 139 | ||
| 3.5.2 Momentum | 140 | ||
| Introduction | 140 | ||
| 3.5.3 Momentum, force and impulse | 142 | ||
| Impulse | 142 | ||
| 3.5.4 Elastic and inelastic collisions | 144 | ||
| Elastic and inelastic collisions | 144 | ||
| Collisions in two dimensions | 144 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Crash bang wallop! | 146 | ||
| Practice questions | 148 | ||
| Module 4: Electrons, waves and photons | 150 | ||
| Chapter 4.1: Electricity: charge and current | 150 | ||
| 4.1.1 Electric circuit components | 152 | ||
| Introduction | 152 | ||
| Electrical circuit components | 152 | ||
| Conventional current and electron flow | 153 | ||
| 4.1.2 Electric current and charge | 155 | ||
| Introduction | 155 | ||
| Kirchhoff’s first law | 156 | ||
| 4.1.3 Electron drift velocity | 157 | ||
| The crystalline structure of metals | 157 | ||
| Comparing conductors, semiconductors and insulators | 159 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Shocking stuff | 160 | ||
| Practice questions | 162 | ||
| Chapter 4.2: Electricity: energy, power and resistance | 164 | ||
| 4.2.1 Potential difference and e.m.f. | 166 | ||
| Introduction | 166 | ||
| Measurement of potential difference | 166 | ||
| 4.2.2 Resistance and Ohm’s law | 168 | ||
| Ohm’s law | 168 | ||
| The factors that affect electrical resistance | 168 | ||
| 4.2.3 Resistance of circuit components | 171 | ||
| Introduction | 171 | ||
| 4.2.4 Resistivity | 173 | ||
| Introduction | 173 | ||
| Using resistivity in the real world | 173 | ||
| 4.2.5 The effect of temperature on resistivity | 175 | ||
| Introduction | 175 | ||
| 4.2.6 Electrical power | 177 | ||
| Introduction | 177 | ||
| 4.2.7 Cost of electrical energy | 180 | ||
| Introduction | 180 | ||
| The kilowatt-hour | 180 | ||
| Calculating the cost of electrical energy | 181 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Electrical resistivity | 182 | ||
| Practice questions | 184 | ||
| Chapter 4.3: Electricity: electrical circuits | 186 | ||
| 4.3.1 Kirchhoff's first and second laws | 188 | ||
| Kirchhoff's first law | 188 | ||
| Kirchhoff’s second law | 188 | ||
| Kirchhoff’s first and second laws involving circuits with two sources of e.m.f. | 188 | ||
| 4.3.2 Series circuits | 190 | ||
| Introduction | 190 | ||
| Deriving the equation for the total effective resistance of resistors arranged in series | 190 | ||
| 4.3.3 Parallel circuits | 192 | ||
| Introduction | 192 | ||
| 4.3.4 The potential divider | 194 | ||
| Introduction | 194 | ||
| Variations on the potential divider circuit | 195 | ||
| 4.3.5 Internal resistance | 197 | ||
| Introduction | 197 | ||
| 4.3.6 Circuit analysis 1 | 200 | ||
| Circuit overview | 200 | ||
| 4.3.7 Circuit analysis 2 | 202 | ||
| Introduction | 202 | ||
| Series circuits involving two sources of e.m.f. | 202 | ||
| Parallel circuits involving two sources of e.m.f. | 202 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Tree-mendous electricity | 204 | ||
| Practice questions | 206 | ||
| Chapter 4.4: Waves | 208 | ||
| 4.4.1 Wave motion | 210 | ||
| Introduction | 210 | ||
| 4.4.2 Wave terminology | 211 | ||
| Introduction | 211 | ||
| Terms and symbols used to describe waves | 212 | ||
| Representing longitudinal waves graphically | 213 | ||
| 4.4.3 Wave speed and the wave equation | 216 | ||
| The wave equation | 216 | ||
| Energy transfer by waves | 216 | ||
| Intensity and amplitude | 217 | ||
| 4.4.4 Common properties of waves | 218 | ||
| Reflection | 218 | ||
| Refraction | 218 | ||
| Diffraction | 219 | ||
| Interference | 220 | ||
| 4.4.5 Electromagnetic waves | 221 | ||
| 4.4.6 Polarisation | 224 | ||
| Plane-polarised waves | 224 | ||
| Uses of polarisation | 225 | ||
| 4.4.7 Refraction of light | 227 | ||
| Introduction | 227 | ||
| Refractive indices | 227 | ||
| Snell’s law | 227 | ||
| 4.4.8 Total internal reflection | 230 | ||
| Introduction | 230 | ||
| Total internal reflection | 230 | ||
| 4.4.9 Interference | 232 | ||
| The principle of superposition | 232 | ||
| Interference | 233 | ||
| Coherence | 233 | ||
| Path difference and phase difference | 233 | ||
| Interference using sound waves | 234 | ||
| 4.4.10 The Young double-slit experiment | 235 | ||
| Introduction | 235 | ||
| The Young double-slit experiment | 235 | ||
| 4.4.11 The diffraction grating | 238 | ||
| Introduction | 238 | ||
| 4.4.12 Stationary waves | 241 | ||
| Introduction | 241 | ||
| 4.4.13 Stationary wave experiments | 244 | ||
| Introduction | 244 | ||
| 4.4.14 Stationary longitudinal waves | 246 | ||
| Introduction | 246 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Ground-shaking discoveries | 250 | ||
| Practice questions | 252 | ||
| Chapter 4.5: Quantum physics | 254 | ||
| 4.5.1 The photon | 256 | ||
| A brief history of ideas about light | 256 | ||
| The photon model | 256 | ||
| 4.5.2 The electronvolt | 259 | ||
| Introduction | 259 | ||
| 4.5.3 The photoelectric effect 1 | 261 | ||
| Introduction | 261 | ||
| Explaining the photoelectric effect | 262 | ||
| 4.5.4 The photoelectric effect 2 | 264 | ||
| Introduction | 264 | ||
| 4.5.5 Wave-particle duality | 267 | ||
| Introduction | 267 | ||
| Wave-particle duality for matter | 269 | ||
| Thinking Bigger: Sailing by the sun | 270 | ||
| Practice questions | 272 | ||
| Maths skills | 274 | ||
| Arithmetic and numerical computation | 274 | ||
| Algebra | 274 | ||
| Handling data | 274 | ||
| Graphs | 274 | ||
| Geometry and trigonometry | 275 | ||
| Applying your skills | 276 | ||
| Preparing for your exams | 278 | ||
| Glossary | 288 | ||
| Index | 292 |