VCE Physics

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• VCE Physics
• Unit 1

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Unit 1 Areas of Study

• Wave-like Properties of Light (10 weeks)
• Nuclear and Radioactivity Physics ( 2 weeks)
• Energy from the Nucleus (3 weeks)

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• Wave-like
• Properties
• of
• Light

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Wave-like Properties of Light

• Key Knowledge and Skills
• What can Light do?
• Describing Waves
• Using the Wave model to explain what Light can do
• What else could Light do?

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Use the ray model of light to

• describe the reflection of light from plane and
  curved mirrors
• explain the formation of images by mirrors and
  determine their properties
• describe the refraction of light by different
  media
• calculate angles and refractive indices using
  Snells Law

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Use the ray model of light to

• explain the formation of images by lenses
• explain the operation of optical fibres as
  repeated internal reflection
• describe colour dispersion in prisms and lenses
• describe the dispersion problems of optical fibres

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Better Models of Light
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Describe the nature, types and properties of waves

• model waves as the transfer of energy without
  matter transfer
• describe the two types of waves transverse and
  longitudinal
• describe waves in terms of particle motion and
  direction of propagation, amplitude, wavelength
  and period and frequency
• use the wave equation v fl

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Use the wave model of light to

• explain properties of light such as refraction
  and dispersion
• identify visible light as part of the
  electromagnetic spectrum

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Use the wave model of light to

• describe the polarisation of light and its
  support for the transverse wave model for light
• describe interference effects

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Practical Activities Demos, Round robins,
Expts, Investigations

• Wave-like Properties of Light
• Round robin of introductory activities
• Images in Plane Mirrors
• Focal length of a Concave Mirror
• Focal length of a Soup Spoon
• Snells Law
• Focal length of a Convex Lens
• Refraction of Particles

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Practical Activities Demos, Round robins,
Expts, Investigations

• Wave-like Properties of Light (ctd)
• Waves on a spring
• Refraction of Waves
• Polaroid Filters
• Brewsters angle
• Interference of Light demonstrations

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Practical Activities Demos, Round robins,
Expts, Investigations

• Radioactivity and Nuclear Physics
• Radioactive sources (range and absorption)
• Half life of Dice
• Half Life of Protactinium
• Energy from the Nucleus

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Resources

• Applets
• Lenses mirrors (hazelwood)
• Both lens and mirror types are possible. The
  focal lengths are adjustable. The applet offers
  the source of a parallel beams, an object or a
  point source. The beam of several parallel rays
  can both be moved and tilted. The point source
  also has several rays. The object has just the
  standard three rays. The change of lens or
  mirror is done by moving the position of the
  focus through to the other side. This is the
  most versatile applet.

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Resources Applets

• Nuclear Reactor
• Fusion Reactor

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Assessment Tasks

• Possible Practical Investigations
• Optical fibres
• How does signal output vary with bending?
• Polarisation
• Birefringence of sticky tape
• Scattered sunlight
• Colour
• Refractive indices of different colours for water

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Assessment Tasks

• Possible Practical Investigations
• Radioactivity
• Sources of natural radioactivity
• Radon in the classroom
• Range of alpha and beta particles

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Other Assessment Tasks

• identify sources of bias and error .
• Such articles could form the basis of
• A multimedia presentation,
• A response to a media article or
• A written report
• A useful source of such articles on Radioactivity
  and Nuclear Energy is Nuclear Organizations

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Depth of Treatment?

• model wave behaviour as transfer of energy
  Should sound be described?
• apply a wave model of energy transfer to visible
  light and the em spectrum
• Should the Maxwell model of crossed electric
  and magnetic fields be described?

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Depth of Treatment?

• describe the colour components of white light
  and colour effects including interference effects
  
• What other colour effects should be covered?
• Should interference be explained as cancellation
  and reinforcement due to path difference?

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Depth of Treatment?

• evaluate the strengths and limitations of a wave
  model .. What are the limitations of the wave
  model? Is it the need for a medium?
• apply a ray model to reflection, refraction,
  
• Does this include lenses and mirrors?

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Depth of Treatment?

• apply the nuclear model stability of nuclei,
  strong nuclear forces
• What depth of treatment is appropriate?
• explain nuclear fusion How deep?