One Minute Physics

I found this You Tube channel today - One Minute Physics - brilliant.

The clips below (typically 1-2 minutes long) are relevant to HSC Physics (particularly QTQ). While they are designed for 'the person in the street' they go beyond what is strictly required by the HSC syllabus but they are excellent for filling in the gaps and answering the questions that crop up about quantum mechanics (sorry about the messy links - no time to tidy them up)

Neutrino - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAAmAbJvvJg&feature=plcp

Schrodingers cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOYyCHGWJq4&feature=plcp

Wave/Particle #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_h4IoPJXZw&feature=plcp

Wave/Particle #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_riIY-v2Ym8&feature=plcp

Standard Model I: Intro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVO0HgMi6Lc&feature=plcp

Standard model II: PEP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxeb3Pc4PA4&feature=plcp

Standard Model III: Bosons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_RhISgoXUs&feature=plcp

Standard Model IV: Higgs pt 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uh5mTxRQcg&feature=plcp

Standard modle V: Higgs pt 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASRpIym_jFM&feature=plcp

Extra stuff - further beyond (but linked to) the syllabus

Spacetime – ARRGGGHH brain hurt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5S-hA9uKEM&feature=plcp 
GPS and relativity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky4RgRvVDoA&feature=plcp

Einstein’s famous 1905 papers: Photoelectric Effect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSgIDgGpRpk&feature=plcp

Einstein’s famous 1905 papers: special relativity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajhFNcUTJI0&feature=plcp

Einstein’s famous 1905 papers: E=mc2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW7DW9NIO9M&feature=plcp

Einstein’s famous 1905 papers: atoms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUBPO6zZ40&feature=relmfu

Standard Model

It looks like the discovery of the Higgs Boson is going to be confirmed tonight. The standard model is the last focus area of the QTQ elective and thus you should probably know about it.

It would be VERY good to read the following - you don't need to memorise anything at this stage - but being AWARE of what the Standard model is would be very good.

1) From the Sydney Morning Herald - a surprisingly good video explanation: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/weve-observed-a-new-particle-leaked-video-reveals-apparent-god-particle-confirmation-20120704-21g63.html

2) An outstanding website - read all the links down the left (each one is a small PowerPoint like page) - covers A LOT of the QTQ elective http://www.particleadventure.org/standard-model.html 

3) A brief summary http://superstringtheory.com/experm/exper2.html

4) The standard model summarised into a picture - http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~dfehling/particle.gif

5) & two articles about 'where to next' http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/supersymmetry-explained/ & http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/theo-le-bret/higgs-boson-beyond-the-standard-model_b_1641492.html

6) My attempt at a mind map summary of the QTQ elective - you should be able to follow the top half - the bottom half is what is coming up. Click on the pic for the big version or you can find the original (and the website where I made it - its a free login and very easy to use) - here

7) Below is a very interesting video on how the Large Hadron Collider (LHC, ie The Synchrotron at CERN) works.

Here is another 'general population' clip about it

Here are three about what happens during a collision. The 'hairy' looking second & third videos are actually tracks of the paths of all the new matter (particles) created during two real collisions between lead ions at an energy of 574 TeV. That they can make those tiny ions collide at that speed/energy is incredible, that such collions actually MAKE new matter is amazing, that they can detect and track it all at such high speed and in such short timeframes blows my mind.

8) And - fianlly - I'm reposting this because it is so good:

The clips below aren't the best quality - (its the best I could upload to the blog) for the full experience see here (though you should watch the second one on the page first, then the top one).

9) And while we are on the topic of QTQ - you should probably look at this too: http://drblurg.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/cloud-chambers-qtq.html 

Physics Animations

Here are some Physics applets to play with to prepare for Ideas to Implementation and Quanta to Quarks.

They are presented in chronological order for the course:

IDEAS TO IMPLEMENTATION

1) Revise what an EM wave is here

2) Learn about standing waves - important for Hertz's experiment -  here

3) Learn about blackbody radition by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

4) To learn about the photoelectric effect click here and/or on the image below:

Click to Run

5) Learn more about wave interference here and/or by clicking on the image below:

Click to Run

QUANTA TO QUARKS

1) Learn about Rutherfords alpha scatteirng experiment by clicking on the image below:

Click to Run

2) Learn about Bohr's model of hydrogen by clicking here

3) Learn about further models of hydrogen by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

4) Learn about the Davisson-Germer experiment by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

5) Learn about alpha decay by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

6) Learn about beta decay by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

7) Learn about nuclear fission by clicking the image below:

Click to Run

On the topic of physics animations and games - Minecraft is amazingly cool retro-feel game. I wrote it off as garbage on first appearance but about 100 hours later - I can verify that it is fun and addictive.

What a feeling to be tunnelling deep into the Earth, carefully making my way past a lava pool, and finding my first diamond ore. It was right up there with defeating my first Enderman, getting my first Blaze Rod and killing a Ghast with its own fireball...

They are even making Minecraft LEGO!!!

On the topic of awesome games - a new level of Kingdom Rush has JUST been released on iTunes!