Welcome to the website for Foundations Physics
This resource site has been designed to provide support and extension activities for lecturers using this text and looking to organise their teaching around the book.
All Palgrave Macmillan Companion Websites have free access, however, some sections of the lecturer zone are designated for exclusive use by adopters of the text and are therefore password-protected, but all users are invited to explore all other areas of the site as they please.
We envisage this site to be used in tandem with the textbook to create and deliver a complete teaching package for yourselves and your students.
Contents
- Data analysis
- Further experiments and investigations
- Further proofs
- Exercises on essential mathematics
- Answers to exercises
- Spreadsheet models
- Case studies
More about uncertainties in calculations
2. Further experiments and investigations
- Testing microwaves
- Experiments on polarised light
- Absorption of sound by materials
- Measurement of the speed of sound in a pipe
- Measurement of the wavelength of laser light using double slits
- Measurement of the focal length of a convex lens by measuring the image distance for
- different object distances Estimate of the size of an oil molecule Investigation of convection of air
- Measurement of the thermal conductivity of copper
- More on Measuring stress and strain.
- Investigating motion.
- An experiment to compare masses using the principle of conservation of momentum.
- Experiment to calibrate a voltmeter.
- More on Measuring the resistivity of a wire
- An experiment to measure the energy stored by a capacitor
- An experiment to investigate a multivibrator
- Investigation of the effect of a magnetic field on an electron beam. Further investigations on flux changes using a data recorder.
- Investigating self-inductance.
- Measurement of the reactance of a coil
- Investigation of the spectrum of hydrogen.
- Experiment to test the inverse square law for gamma radiation from a point source.
- More about using a spectrometer
- Answers
- Proof of the lens formula
- Proof that the centre of gravity of a uniform beam is at its midpoint
4. Exercises on essential mathematics
A. Algebra
- 1. Rearranging an equation
- 2. Using the dynamics equations
- 3. Pythagoras theorem
- 4. Simultaneous equations
B. Calculus
- 1. Rates of change in dynamics
- 2. Rates of change in exponential decay
- 3. Differentiation of xn and ex
- 4. Differentiating a sine function
C. Graphs
- 1. Straight line graphs
- 2. Inverse square law graphs
- 3. Rates of change
- 4. Area under a curve
D. Trigonometry
- 1. Sin, cos and tan
- 2. Sine wave formula
- 3. Circular measures
E. Using a calculator
- 1. Standard notation and powers of ten
- 2. Raising a number to a given power
- 3. Using the ln key and the e key of a calculator
F. Vectors
- 1. Resolving a vector
- 2. Vector Addition
- 3. i and j vectors
- Investigating motion using a spreadsheet
- Modelling capacitor discharge using a spreadsheet
- Modelling radioactive decay using a spreadsheet
- Modelling oscillating motion using a spreadsheet
7. Case studies
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The medical endoscope
- Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) More about energy resources Electronic memory More about mains electricity Applications of radioactivity