Contents

Introduction 3

CHAPTER 1 THE SCOPE OF PHYSICS

1.1 Explaining everything 12
1.2 Fields 14
1.3 Quantum mysteries 16
1.4 The scale of physics 18
1.5 Chaos 20

CHAPTER 2 HANDLING DATA

2.1 Base units and derived units 24
2.2 Dimensions 26
2.3 Customized units 28
2.4 Scientific notation 30
2.5 Using scientific calculators 32
2.6 Uncertainties 34
2.7 Working with uncertainties 36
2.8 Graphical analysis 38
2.9 Investigations 40
2.10 Interfacing and datalogging 42

CHAPTER 3 MECHANICS
3.1 Capturing and displaying motion 46
3.2 Equations of motion 48
3.3 Vectors 50
3.4 Force as a vector 52
3.5 Turning effects 54
3.6 Mass, weight, and density 56
3.7 Forces in buildings 58
3.8 Hooke’s law 60
3.9 Falling 62
3.10 Projectile motion 64
3.11 What is energy? 66
3.12 Work 68
3.13 Kinetic and potential energy 70
3.14 Power and efficiency 72
3.15 Fluid pressure 74
3.16 The Bernoulli equation 76
3.17 The Bernoulli effect 78
3.18 The physics of flight 80
3.19 The Newtonian revolution 82
3.20 Newton’s first law of motion 84
3.21 Force and motion 86
3.22 Newton’s second law of motion 88
3.23 Newton’s third law of motion 90
3.24 Interactions and collisions 92
3.25 Friction 94
3.26 Newton in action – 1 96
3.27 Newton in action – 2 98
3.28 Rotation 100
3.29 Uniform circular motion 102
3.30 Examples of rotation 104
3.31 Rotational dynamics 106
3.32 Oscillators 108
3.33 Cyclic motion 110
3.34 Simple harmonic motion 112
3.35 Oscillators and energy 114

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 4 17/06/2013 09:42

 3.36 Simple harmonic motion in action 116
Practice exam questions 118

CHAPTER 4 ELECTRICITY
4.1 Electric charge and current 128
4.2 The microscopic nature of current 130
4.3 Electric circuits 132
4.4 Energy transformations in circuits 134
4.5 Kirchhoff’s laws 136
4.6 Combining resistors 138
4.7 Factors that influence resistance 140
4.8 Energy and power 142
4.9 Component characteristics 144
4.10 Variable resistors and potential dividers 146
4.11 Cells 148
4.12 Alternating current 150
4.13 Semiconductor devices 152
4.14 Electricity in the home 154
4.15 Introduction to capacitors 156
4.16 Charging and discharging capacitors 158
4.17 Further work on capacitors 160
4.18 Energy stored in a capacitor 162
Practice exam questions 164

CHAPTER 5 FIELDS
5.1 The gravitational field 170
5.2 Newton’s law of gravitation 172
5.3 Force and field strength – 1. Gravitation 174
5.4 Potential energy and potential 176
5.5 The Earth in space 178
5.6 Orbits 180
5.7 Force and field strength – 2. Electricity 182
5.8 Electric potential and potential energy 184
5.9 Field lines and equipotentials 186
5.10 Conductors in electric fields 188
5.11 Parallel-plate capacitors 190
5.12 Insulators 192
5.13 Contrasting electric and gravitational fields 194
5.14 Magnetic forces on charges 196
5.15 Magnetic forces between currents 198
5.16 Magnetic fields generated by currents 200
5.17 Electromagnetic devices – 1. The motor 202
5.18 Electromagnetic devices – 2. The loudspeaker
and the relay 204
5.19 Deflecting electron beams 206
5.20 The cathode-ray tube 208
5.21 Magnetically induced electric currents 210
5.22 Electrically induced currents 212
5.23 Electromagnetic induction 214
5.24 Examples of induction 216
5.25 Self-induction 218
5.26 Reactive circuits 220
5.27 Phasors and reactive circuits 222
5.28 Transformers and power supplies 224
5.29 Power generation and transmission 226
Practice exam questions 228

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 5 17/06/2013 09:42

 CHAPTER 6 WAVES
6.1 Waves 236
6.2 Mechanical waves 238
6.3 Electromagnetic waves 240
6.4 Reflection 242
6.5 Refraction 244
6.6 Total internal reflection 246
6.7 Superposition 248
6.8 The double-slit experiment 250
6.9 Diffraction 252
6.10 Resolving detail 254
6.11 Diffraction gratings 256
6.12 Spectra 258
6.13 The speed of light 260
6.14 The speed of mechanical waves 262
6.15 Standing waves 264
6.16 Standing waves and music 266
6.17 Standing wave patterns 268
6.18 The Doppler effect 270
6.19 Polarization 272
6.20 Geometrical optics 274
6.21 Optical instruments 276
Practice exam questions 278

CHAPTER 7 HEAT
7.1 Very large versus very small 284
7.2 The first law of thermodynamics 286
7.3 Temperature scales 288
7.4 Ideal gas behaviour 290
7.5 The physics of ideal gases 292
7.6 The kinetic theory of gases 294
7.7 Linking temperature to kinetics 296
7.8 Specific heat capacity 298
7.9 Phase changes 300
7.10 Heat engines 302
7.11 Real engines 304
7.12 Entropy 306
7.13 The second and third laws of thermodynamics 308
7.14 The Boltzmann constant 310
7.15 Flow 312
7.16 Thermal radiation 314
Practice exam questions 316

CHAPTER 8 MODERN PHYSICS

8.1 Models of the atom 322
8.2 The discovery of the electron 324
8.3 The mass and charge of an electron 326
8.4 Quanta 328
8.5 Photon physics 330
8.6 Matter waves 332
8.7 Wave–particle duality 334
8.8 Electron microscopes 336
8.9 The quantum atom 338
8.10 Atomic spectra 340
8.11 Radioactivity 342
8.12 Random decay 344
8.13 The decay equation 346

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 6 17/06/2013 09:42

 8.14 Radiation detectors 348
8.15 Radiation hazards 350
8.16 Half-life 352
8.17 Longer half-lives 354
8.18 An alpha source 356
8.19 Investigating alpha particles 358
8.20 Beta particles 360
8.21 Gamma rays 362
8.22 Radioactivity in action 364
8.23 Special relativity 366
8.24 Time and space 368
8.25 Mass and energy 370
8.26 The nucleus 372
8.27 Nuclear energy 374
8.28 Nuclear binding energy and stability 376
8.29 Nuclear fission 378
8.30 Modelling nuclear processes 380
8.31 Nuclear reactors 382
8.32 Nuclear fusion 384
8.33 X-rays 386
8.34 Using X-rays 388
Practice exam questions 390

CHAPTER 9 THE PHYSICS OF PARTICLES

9.1 Big science 398
9.2 Using relativity in particle physics 400
9.3 Collisions and decays 402
9.4 Accelerating particles 404
9.5 Modern accelerators 406
9.6 Detecting particles 408
9.7 The UA1 detector – a case study 410
9.8 Leptons 412
9.9 Anti-matter 414
9.10 Neutrinos 416
9.11 Hadrons and quarks 418
9.12 Conservation laws – 1 420
9.13 Conservation laws – 2 422
9.14 Evidence for quarks 424
9.15 Exchange forces – 1 426
9.16 Exchange forces – 2 428
9.17 Particle physics in the nucleus 430
Practice exam questions 432

CHAPTER 10 THE PHYSICS OF MATERIALS

10.1 Mechanical properties of materials 438
10.2 Stress–strain graphs 440
10.3 Bonding and packing 442
10.4 Crystalline materials 444
10.5 Metallic structures 446
10.6 Explaining metal properties 448
10.7 Polymers 450
10.8 Rubber 452
10.9 Building materials 454
10.10 Glass and ceramics 456
10.11 Wear and tear 458
10.12 Testing, squeezing, and bending 460
10.13 Magnetic materials 462

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 7 17/06/2013 09:42

 10.14 Energy band theory 464
10.15 Semiconductor materials 466
10.16 The Hall effect 468
10.17 Optical properties of materials 470
10.18 Lasers 472
10.19 Using lasers 474
Practice exam questions 476

CHAPTER 11 THE PHYSICS OF THE BODY

11.1 The body – structure 482
11.2 The body – movement 484
11.3 The eye 486
11.4 The eye’s optical system in detail 488
11.5 The ear 490
11.6 The body electric 492
11.7 Radiation and the body 494
11.8 Medical uses of radiation 496
11.9 Medical X-rays 498
11.10 Radiation therapy 500
11.11 Electromagnetic imaging 502
11.12 Magnetic resonance imaging 504
11.13 Ultrasound imaging 506
Practice exam questions 508

CHAPTER 12 THE PHYSICS OF SPACE

12.1 Theories of the universe 514
12.2 Observational astronomy 516
12.3 Kepler’s laws 518
12.4 Optical astronomy 520
12.5 Radio astronomy 522
12.6 Exploring the Solar System 524
12.7 Our place in space 526
12.8 The origin of the elements 528
12.9 How far to the stars? 530
12.10 Stars as black bodies 532
12.11 Classifying stars by magnitude 534
12.12 Stellar spectra 536
12.13 The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram 538
12.14 The life and death of a star 540
12.15 Collapsing stars 542
12.16 Spectroscopic parallax 544
12.17 Using variable stars 546
12.18 The expanding universe 548
12.19 The Hubble constant 550
12.20 Olbers’s paradox 552
12.21 General relativity 554
12.22 Curved space 556
12.23 A brief history of the universe 558
12.24 Particle physics and cosmology 560
Practice exam questions 562

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 8 17/06/2013 09:42

 CHAPTER 13 THE PHYSICS OF COMMUNICATIONS
13.1 Communications systems 568
13.2 Communication channels 570
13.3 Communications networks 572
13.4 Radio transmission 574
13.5 Tuned circuits and aerials 576
13.6 Digital information 578
13.7 The CD player 580
13.8 Amplifiers 582
13.9 Other op-amp circuits 584
13.10 Sensing circuits 586
13.11 Fibre-optic communications 588
Practice exam questions 590

CHAPTER 14 NEW FRONTIERS

14.1 Hazards of nuclear energy 594
14.2 The future of nuclear energy 596
14.3 Energy challenges and alternatives – 1 598
14.4 Energy challenges and alternatives – 2 600
14.5 The final frontier 602
14.6 Advances in cosmology 604
14.7 Advances in particle physics 606
14.8 Modern quantum theory 608

MATHEMATICS TOOLBOX
MT.1 Signs, symbols, and indices 610
MT.2 Equations and approximations 612
MT.3 Trigonometry 614
MT.4 Vectors 616
MT.5 Logarithms 618
MT.6 Exponentials 620
MT.7 Graphs 622
MT.8 Differential calculus 624
MT.9 Integral calculus 626
MT.10 Spreadsheets 628

APPENDICES
A.1 Useful data 630
A.2 Useful formulae 632
A.3 Numerical answers to selected practice and
exam questions 634

Index 640
Acknowledgements 655

839292_Prelims [002-009].indd 9 17/06/2013 09:42