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Contents

  • Disclaimer and Warning - Please read this.
  • Physics - This page provides links to sites containing information that is both relevant to and useful for the current HSC Syllabus in Physics.
  • Religion - This page provides links to sites containing information that is both relevant to and useful for the current HSC Syllabus in Studies of Religion 1 & 2 Unit.
  • Favourite - Links to some of my favourite sites, including the excellent GOOGLE Search Engine.
  • General - Links to some more general sites of interest.

Favourite Sites

Top of Page

 

Physics Related Sites

Links Contents:

Top of Page

 

 

8.2 THE WORLD COMMUNICATES:

  • Acoustics & Vibration Animations - Good animations illustrating important concepts relating to acoustics & vibrations.

  • Bandwidth - An explanation.

  • EMP - Interesting article on electromagnetic pulses generated by the explosion of nuclear weapons.

  • EM Spectrum & Applications - Notes on EM radiation plus some interesting applications to remote sensing.

  • EM Spectrum Usage in Australia - Provides the frequency ranges and other details for the various bands of the EM spectrum used for communication purposes in Australia.

  • Explore Learning - A site that provides notes & practical exercises on many Physics and Maths topics.  It is a pay site that allows you to run only one "Gizmo" applet per day unless you join.  It is a very good site with many excellent applets but whether you join or not is totally up to you.  There are many other sites with excellent applets for which you do not have to pay.  See for instance the other Java Applet links below.

  • General Physics Java Applets - Many useful applets for explaining basic Physics concepts - waves, optics, oscillations, mechanics and more.  Move your mouse pointer over the "Applet Menu" & then select the applet you wish to see.

  • How Radio Works - A good explanation of how radio works.  The Table of Contents at the top & bottom of the page allows you to browse through several interesting aspects of the production, transmission & reception of radio waves.

  • Inverse Square Law - a practical - part of the Australian Academy of Science project - Communicating with Light.  Material also available on fibre optics, morse code and more.

  • Java Applets - virtual laboratory exercises on a huge range of Physics topics

  • Longitudinal & Transverse Wave Motion - Good animations of these wave types.

  • Modulation - A simple but adequate explanation of signal modulation, including pulse, amplitude & frequency modulation.

  • Solar Radiation - Useful information on the nature of solar radiation and its penetration ability through Earth's atmosphere.

  • Speed of Sound in Materials - A very good explanation of the effect of density & elasticity on the speed of sound in materials.  Links to other good lessons on waves.

  • The Light Guide - A good site with lots of information on the communications revolution, communications networks, optical fibres, photonics and related aspects of physics.

  • The World Communicates - Notes from School of Physics, Uni. of NSW, for workshop for High School Physics Teachers.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

8.3 ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN THE HOME:

  • Australian Greenhouse Office - An excellent site providing useful information on greenhouse gas emission and detailing government initiatives for lowering greenhouse gas emission.

  • Ball Lightning Explained - The latest and perhaps most plausible explanation for this interesting phenomenon.

  • Birds on Electrical Wires - Why don't birds get electrocuted when they perch on electrical wires?

  • Cables - Properties of cables used for electricity conduction.

  • DC Circuits - Ohm's Law Experiment & links to others

  • Electricity & Magnetism - A Brief Historical Overview.

  • Energy Australia - Excellent information on electricity supply in NSW - many useful links.

  • Explore Learning - Coulomb Force Simulation - The Coulomb Applet is one of the available menu options.  This is a pay site that allows you to use this applet once only per day unless you join.  So, if you run the applet make sure you do everything with it that you need to while you are there.

  • Michael Faraday - Basic information on this great thinker, inventor & teacher.

  • Galvani (Luigi) - Good information

  • Historical Information - Interesting facts from the history of electricity & magnetism.

  • Ohm (Georg) - a biography of this very important Physicist.

  • Safety in the home - do's and don'ts to help you avoid accidents and fire hazards in and around the home - from Energy Australia.

  • Solar Cells Commercialisation - Article on rooftop solar cells that produce electricity at a cost comparable to that of coal.

  • Tesla (Nikola) - Information & links on this brilliant Physicist & inventor.

  • Volta (Alessandro) - Basic information on this eminent Physicist.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

8.4 MOVING ABOUT:

  • Aerodynamics Links - A very comprehensive list of topics on aerodynamics.  Good explanations of much of the basic Physics involved in flight.  Defines & explains true airspeed, windspeed, cross winds, groundspeed & much more.  Well worth a look if your interested in flight.

  • Death-defying Designs For Car Safety - Good article on car safety features & why they work.

  • Explore Learning - Mechanics - Many useful & interesting practical exercises, including Inclined Plane, Linear Air Track, Projectile Motion, Terminal Velocity, SHM, Circular & Rotational Motion & others.

  • Fatal Impacts 1 - An interesting article on the risks involved in speeding.  Some physicists would argue that the actual risk estimates have been over-estimated but the article is still worth a look.

  • Fatal Impacts 2 - A mathematical analysis of the "speed kills" arguments.  Note that this article attempts to provide an accurate assessment of the risks associated with speeding and is in no way intended as an argument in favour of speeding.

  • Friction - Interesting article on the possible causes of friction.

  • Key Facts for New Drivers - An excellent site for new drivers -  from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.  Well worth a look!

  • Physics Applets No.1 - Numerous very good applets on a range of Physics topics, including motion.

  • Physics Applets No.2 - More great applets on many topics, including motion.  Once there, move your mouse over the words "Applet Menu" in the top left corner of the page.  The Menu will become visible.  Choose the applet you wish to try.

  • Physics Applets No.3 - Virtual laboratory exercises on mechanics, astrophysics, energy & the environment and thermodynamics.  When you get there, move your mouse over the topic of interest and a menu will appear.  Click on the menu item required so that it is highlighted.  A description of the applet will appear in the box to the right.  Then click on the "choose this applet" button below this box to run this applet.

  • Rotation of a Wheel - Why does it appear to go backwards?

  • Spacecraft Speed Records - An interesting site - worth a look.

  • The Promise of Hypersonic Flight - An informative article about supersonic & hypersonic flight.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

8.5 THE COSMIC ENGINE:

  • Astronomy Answer Book - Questions & answers on many astronomical topics.  Very interesting.

  • Astronomy 122: Birth & Death of Stars - An excellent set of notes on this topic.  Page down for the Table of Contents of lectures when you get to the site.

  • Astronomy 161: The Solar System - Excellent notes on a huge variety of topics.

  • Astronomy 162: Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology - Again, excellent notes on many aspects of this topic area.

  • Astrophysics - Very good explanations covering a huge range of astrophysics topics.

  • Contemporary Laboratory Exercises in Astronomy

  • Copernican Model: The Sun-Centred Solar System - Excellent explanation

  • Cosmic Jungle - article describing the impending collision between our Milky Way Galaxy & our nearest neighbour galaxy Andromeda.

  • Dark Galaxy - Radio astronomers may have found the first ever galaxy that is made almost entirely of dark matter.

  • Earth's Radiation Budget - some simple facts & good diagrams.

  • Globular Clusters - Good notes.

  • Greenhouse Gases - Article on greenhouse gases and global warming.  Possible solutions are discussed.

  • Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram - A good example of an H-R diagram.  (Note that the spelling of the names is incorrect on this particular diagram.)

  • History of Astronomy - from the Ancient Greeks to Isaac Newton

  • How to pick a Telescope - links to lots of useful information

  • International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Website - Excellent source of information on anything to do with the Sun-Earth system, including the Magnetosphere and the Sun-Earth environment.  When you get there, go to the "What is the Sun-Earth Connection?" heading and select the link called "Education & Public Outreach".

  • Is Space Finite? - A very good article from the April 1999 issue of Scientific American Magazine.

  • Jewel Box - Article giving details of this beautiful open cluster.

  • Koolang Astronomical Observatory

  • Life Cycles of Stars - A brief & easy to follow description of the life cycles of stars, including useful information on the three possible stellar endpoints - white/black dwarfs, neutron stars & black holes.

  • Melbourne Planetarium at Science Works Museum

  • Moon a Chip off the Earth Block - interesting article on the formation of the moon.

  • NASA Education Site

  • NASA Homepage

  • Open Clusters - Good notes.

  • Planet 10 - Great site - lots of information on the solar system.  You can fly through the solar system as well as build your own planet.

  • Pluto Re-classified - Article announcing the re-classification of Pluto as a dwarf-planet.  How is a planet defined these days?  Read the article and find out.

  • Saturn - Some results from the Cassini probe.

  • Sedna - The coldest most distant place in our Solar System (discovered on 15th March 2004).

  • Solar Radiation - Useful information on solar radiation including the spectral distribution of solar energy at sea level - that is, the relative amounts of UV, Visible & IR radiation in the solar radiation that makes it all the way to the ground.

  • Solar Radiation & the Earth's Energy Balance - A very informative article on the effects of solar radiation on our planet.

  • Solar Storms & Their Human Impacts - Information on specific incidents of solar storms affecting power grids, satellites and communications networks.  Useful for Syllabus point 8.5.4 Column 3 dot point 2.

  • Solar System Simulator - A great simulator that allows you to view one object in the solar system from the point of view of another object at any time on a selected day.  Great fun!

  • Space News from Earth and Beyond - A good source of up to date news on all sorts of things to do with space.

  • Space Questions - Answers from experts to commonly asked questions about space & space travel.
     

  • Space Weather Research Explorer - An excellent site with lots of information about the sun, including how the sun can damage satellites, affect navigation & radio communications, damage power grids, endanger the lives of astronauts and lots more.  Have a look at the "Space Weather and You" section.  Useful for Syllabus point 8.5.4 Column 3 dot point 2.

  • Star Clusters - Brief notes on Open & Globular Clusters.

  • Star Clusters II - A more detailed account of clusters including how HR Diagrams of clusters can be used to test our models of stellar evolution.

  • Sun Information - A great site containing a huge amount of information about the sun.  The "Space Weather" section contains some information relevant to Syllabus point 8.5.4 Column 3 dot point 2.

  • Sunspot Cycle - Information about this important cycle.

  • Sun's Regular Mood Swings - A BBC News article providing basic information on the nature of sunspots, solar flares & mass ejections and describing their effects on earth's magnetic field, power grids and satellites.  Useful for Syllabus point 8.5.4 Column 3 dot point 2.

  • Telescopes - How they work.

  • The Apollo Space Program Story - Detailed information on the Apollo Program.

  • The Nine Planets - good information on the history, mythology and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets & moons in our Solar System.  After the decision in 2006 to re-classify Pluto as a dwarf-planet, this site should really be called "The Eight Planets".

  • The Planet Pluto - lots of interesting information about the Pluto-Charon system

  • The Solar & Heliospheric Observatory - Great images of the Sun, suggestions for lesson plans, links to other good sites.  This site includes a very good section on sunspots with photos of sunspots currently present on the surface of the Sun.

  • The Virtual Sun - A very informative & easy to follow tour through the Sun

  • Views of the Solar System - an excellent source of photographs and information on the Sun & the Solar System.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

 

9.2 SPACE:

  • Age - Check out your age on other planets.
     

  • Apollo to the Moon Gallery - A great collection of facts & photos highlighting the Apollo Moon program from start to finish.

  • C-Ship - Definitely worth a visit - shows the effects of Special Relativity for a traveller getting ever closer to the speed of light - excellent graphics!

  • Current Space Missions - basic details of current missions to various parts of our Solar System - Voyager, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini-Huygens and several others.

  • Earth & Sky - Information on "gravity assists".

  • Einstein's Mirror - A brief introduction to this thought experiment and its significance provided by NSW HSC Online.

  • Galileo - The Motion of Projectiles - Excerpt from Galileo's "Two New Sciences" in which he gives his classic analysis of projectile motion.

  • g-forces I - effect of g-forces on pilots, along with some other interesting information on flying.

  • g-forces II - another site with a basic explanation of g-forces.

  • Goddard and his Rockets - information on the contribution of Robert Goddard to the development of space exploration

  • Gravity Assists - An explanation of "gravity assists".

  • Gravity - Questions & Answers

  • Lectures on Galileo & Einstein - An excellent set of lectures from Michael Fowler of the University of Virginia, on the works of these two brilliant scientists.

  • Lessons From The Beagle - What lessons have been learned from the loss of the Beagle 2 Mars Lander at the end of 2003?  An interesting article for anyone studying the difficulties of doing Science in space.

  • Mysteries of Deep Space - Classroom Activities

  • Newton's Cannon - an applet demonstrating the idea.  This is linked to a good lecture.

  • Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation - very good notes.

  • Pioneer 10 - Interesting overview of the mission of this spacecraft, which is now further from earth than any other spacecraft besides Voyager 1.  Links to other missions.

  • Projectile Motion - An applet - fires shots at a target - you adjust inclination, speed & value of g.

  • Projectile Motion II - Another applet allowing you to experiment with the variables that determine a projectile's trajectory.

  • Propulsion Systems - Current & future propulsion systems for space travel - many links (eg How the ion engine works)

  • Rocket Principles - explanation of Newton's Laws & principles of rocket propulsion.

  • Roller Coaster - An explanation of Roller Coaster physics.

  • Roller Coaster II - A very good explanation of the physics of roller coasters & a brief definition and discussion of g-forces.

  • Saturn V Rocket - details of the rocket used to launch the Apollo spacecraft.

  • Slingshot Effect - further explanations

  • Solar Sailing - Information on solar sail propulsion.

  • Space Invaders - The transcript of a presentation on the ABC's Ockham's Razor in December 2000, discussing the dirty & lucrative sides of space exploitation.

  • Space Links - Many links for this topic.  Please note I have NOT checked many of these links and therefore have no idea how useful they will prove to be.  Try them out & let me know if they are OK.

  • Space News from Earth and Beyond - A good source of up to date news on all sorts of things to do with space.

  • Space Shuttle

  • SEDS - Students for the Exploration and Development of Space - a wealth of information on Space, Astronomy & Rocketry.  This is an excellent site with links to other very useful sites.

  • The Space Place - Simple explanation of how best to use earth's orbital & rotational motion to advantage during launch.

  • Space-Time - Brief description of current knowledge of the fabric of space-time.

  • The Way To Go In Space - Scientific American article on the future of space travel - links to other excellent articles on possible future propulsion systems.

  • Time - Questions & Answers

  • Weight - Determine your weight on other planets.

 

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

 

9.3 MOTORS & GENERATORS:

  • Birds on Electric Wires - Why don't birds get electrocuted when they perch on electric wires?

  • Do HV Power Lines Cause Cancer? - magazine article

  • Eddy Currents & Electromagnetic Braking - brief but useful

  • Eddy Currents in Switching Devices - Example of inductive proximity switch using eddy currents.  Page down to the "Technical Information" section.

  • Electric Chair - Interesting article by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.

  • Electric Motors - very good diagrams & info for DC & AC - click on the diagrams or headings for more info.

  • Electric Motors for the HSC - great links on this topic provided by Prof. Joe Wolfe at Uni. of NSW & links to other Uni. of NSW HSC Physics material.

  • Electric Power Information - some very useful information on electric & magnetic fields associated with the use of electric power.  In particular, possible health effects are examined.

  • Electricity Health Risk Claim - an interesting read

  • Electrodynamics Applets - Many excellent Physics applets.  Go to this page & then page down to the Electrodynamics section & help yourself.  Numerous applets including electric motor & generator.

  • Galvanometer - a description of the application of the motor effect in the galvanometer

  • High Voltage Towers - An excellent site giving information on high voltage overhead transmission and distribution lines.  Information is provided on how transmission lines are insulated from the supporting structures & protected from lightning strikes.  Once you arrive at the homepage you need to click on the link to "Info on HV Towers" located on the menu bar.

  • How to Build a Working DC Electric Motor - Watch this clip on YouTube.
     

  • Induction Cooktops

  • Induction Heating

  • Lightning Strikes on Power Lines - consequences of such strikes & means of protection against them.  Many links to lots of information on lightning & to good photographs of lightning striking power lines and other objects.

  • Loudspeaker Principle - detailed explanation

  • Loudspeakers - simple explanation

  • Motors & Generators Links - Many links for this topic.  Please note I have NOT checked many of these links and therefore have no idea how useful they will prove to be.  Try them out & let me know if they are OK.

  • Pathways of Power - a very useful Tasmanian site.  Click on the links on the left to access information on power transmission and distribution, conductors, insulators, transformers and lots more.  Information is provided on how transmission lines are insulated from the supporting structures.  There are many other useful sections on this website.  Just note that the claim in the "Pathways of Power Overview" section that power is transmitted from the power station to your home instantly is not correct.  The power is delivered very quickly but not instantly.  Also realize that the actual electrons in the transmission lines travel much more slowly than the speed of light.

  • Power Line Facts - links to papers on the physiological effects of power lines on humans.

  • War of Currents - Summary of the competition between Westinghouse and Edison to supply electricity to cities.  Which would prevail, AC or DC?

  • War of Currents II - More information on the Westinghouse versus Edison battle over whether AC or DC should be used to supply electrical power to cities.

  • War of Currents III - An interesting aspect of the Westinghouse versus Edison fight - AC versus DC - the invention of the electric chair.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

 

9.4 FROM IDEAS TO IMPLEMENTATION:

Note: Several good links to sites on CRT's, oscilloscopes and television are located on the "From Ideas to Implementation" page.

  • A Look Inside the Atom - an excellent exhibit on the work of J J Thomson & his discovery of the electron.

  • A Teacher's Guide to Superconductivity for High School Students - Very good site with good explanatory theory, applications & more.

  • Bragg Law - explanation & applet demo.

  • Breathalyzer - how it works including the use of the photocells

  • Britney's Guide to Semiconductor Physics - Actually a really good site on semiconductors - basic to advanced information.

  • Devices Controlled by Thought - Advances in this research.

  • Einstein's Revolutionary Paper - Although Einstein wrote five fundamental papers in 1905, only one - the article showing that light consists of discrete quantum particles - was truly revolutionary, argues John S Rigden.

  • Electromagnetic Wave - Applet simulating an EM wave

  • From Ideas to Implementation - Sydney Uni pages containing good links to information on much of this Syllabus Topic.  Well worth a look!

  • Hertz's EM Wave Experiment - Hertz generated & detected EM waves & also stumbled onto the photoelectric effect.

  • How Radio Works - The demonstration described on this page can be performed to satisfy Syllabus section 9.4.2 column 3 dot point 1, "demonstrate the production & reception of radio waves".

  • Introduction to Quantum Mechanics - a simple introduction to this complex but truly beautiful theory.

  • J J Thomson's Cathode Ray Tube - information & pictures of Thomson's CRT.

  • Maglev Trains - How they work - good explanation with diagrams & pictures - no specific mention of how superconductivity is used.

  • Maglev Trains - Advantages & disadvantages plus some other good links.

  • New State of Matter - Article describing the discovery of a new state of matter at a temperature incredibly close to absolute zero.  This has no direct bearing on the HSC syllabus but is very interesting.

  • Oscilloscope - What it is & how it works - good detail.

  • Photoelectric Effect - an applet demo with several simple but informative experiments to perform.  Note that at present the "silver metal" option appears to be missing.  If you click just below the "cesium" option, the sample will change to "silver".

  • Photoelectric Effect - Applet simulating experiment to determine Planck constant & work function for three elements.

  • Photonic Devices - A good site with lots of information on semiconductors, LED's, Laser diodes and much more.

  • Semiconductors - A link to the Science section of the "Transistorized!" Website.  Useful information on many aspects of electronics & associated material.  Good site to use for Syllabus point 9.4.3 dot point 3 under "Students:".

  • Semiconductor & Superconductor Links - NSW Uni links to these topics.

  • Solar Cells & How They Work - Follow the links in the "Inside this Article" section.

  • Spray on Solar Power Cells - Article on new plastic solar cell that can be sprayed onto other materials and used as a portable power source.

  • Superconductivity Notes - An excellent set of notes covering all the Syllabus dot points on superconductivity.

  • Superconductor Advance - New superconducting material for possible use in electricity distribution.

  • Superconductors - Are they the Future? - applications of superconductors.  Other Chapters at this site give good basic explanation of superconductivity, examples of Type I & II superconductors.  Explanation of how Cooper pairs form is greatly oversimplified but then this whole site was set up by a seventh grade student in the USA - DON'T let that put you off going there - it is worth a look.

  • Thumbnail History of Electronics - Basic information on the key players and their discoveries & contributions.

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

 

9.7 ASTROPHYSICS:

  • Active & Adaptive Optics - A detailed introduction.  More than is needed by the Syllabus.

  • Active Optics Example - Good notes on the New Technology Telescope which uses active optics.

  • Active Optics System - The VLT system as an example.  Good diagram.

  • Age of Clusters - A good site on determining the ages of clusters.

  • Astronomy Activities - A large selection of activities.  Worth a look.  Included is an activity on determining the age of an open cluster.

  • Astronomy 122: Birth & Death of Stars - An excellent set of notes on this topic.  Page down for the Table of Contents of lectures when you get to the site.

  • Astronomical Images - A very comprehensive collection of images from the Anglo-Australian Observatory.

  • Astronomical Interferometry - The history & physics of this technique.

  • Astrophysics - Very good explanations covering a huge range of astrophysics topics.

  • Astrophysics Links - From Uni of Sydney.  I have not checked out all of these links but some or all may be of use.

  • CFHT Homepage - Lots of details & news from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.

  • Chromatic Aberration - Basic notes.

  • Clusters I - Excellent notes on open & globular clusters and the age of clusters.  Good photographs & HR Diagrams.

  • Clusters II - More good notes on open & globular clusters.

  • Eclipsing Binaries - model light curves of eclipsing binaries using computer simulation.  Page up when you get to the site.  This answers Syllabus section 9.7.5 Column 3 dot point 1.

  • Elements Heavier than Iron - How are they made? - This link takes you to the Astrophysics & Cosmology site at Florida State University.  Among other interesting material there is a good section on how stars produce elements heavier than iron.

  • European Southern Observatory - General Information & links to their telescopes including the VLT and the VLT Interferometer (VLTI).

  • Evolutionary Tracks - This is a very good page on post main sequence stars.  When you get there page down a little & you will find a very good diagram showing the evolutionary tracks for stars of 1, 5 and 10 solar masses as requested by the current Syllabus.

  • GAIA - An ambitious mission to chart a 3-D map of our Galaxy.

  • Galileo's Comments on & Drawings of the Moon - Interesting.

  • Galileo's Drawings of the Moon - good site.

  • Galileo Project - Excellent source of information on the life & work of Galileo Galilei.

  • Gemini Observatory - Great pictures and information.

  • HR Diagram Plotting Exercise I - A good exercise that gets students to plot an HR Diagram for the nearest & brightest stars.  Data is supplied.  You will need a pdf reader such as Adobe Acrobat to access this file.

  • Mars Photos - The latest high resolution photos of Mars taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.  The HiRISE camera on board is the most powerful camera ever to leave Earth's orbit.
     

  • Milky Way's Black Hole - Best proof yet of the black hole that is thought to exist at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy.

  • National Radio Astronomy Observatory - General information & links to several NRAO telescopes including the VLA & the VLBA.

  • Nebulae - An excellent description of the different types of nebulae and of starbirth within dark nebulae.

  • Nobel Prize for Physics in 2002 - Three astrophysicists have been awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize for Physics for their work in neutrino and X-ray astronomy.

  • New Type of Neutron Star - Article from Physics Web on the discovery of a new type of neutron star.

  • Open Cluster HR Diagram - Notes & HR Diagram.

  • Origins Program - Description of NASA's attempts to answer two basic questions - Where do we come from?  Are we alone?

  • Parallel Universes - An interesting look at this concept by the BBC.

  • Pulsars - Listen to some pulsars courtesy of the University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory.

  • Resolution - A good explanation of this concept.  Links to other interesting aspects of astronomy.

  • SIRTF Homepage - Information on the Space Infrared Telescope Facility.

  • Solar Neutrino Problem Solved - Article on this from Physics World Magazine.

  • Spectra - Absorption & emission spectra for all the elements.  Just click on the element in the Periodic Table to view its spectra.

  • Star Clusters - Examples of actual open and globular clusters, notes on HR Diagrams and stellar evolution.  Good example HR Diagrams of clusters of various ages.

  • Star Clusters & Variable Stars - A detailed account of clusters including how HR Diagrams of clusters can be used to test our models of stellar evolution.

  • Stellar Death - excellent information on stellar evolution.

  • Stellar Death Summary - A good set of notes on stellar death.  There is a Table at this site that contains a very good summary of the process.

  • Stellar Evolution - Useful notes on stellar evolution including an HR Diagram showing the evolutionary track of a one-solar mass star.  Notes are also available on stars, nebulae & HR Diagrams.

  • Stellar Evolution Models - How stellar evolution models are confirmed and how the age of clusters is determined from the main sequence turn-off point.  Good HR Diagrams.

  • Stellar Evolution Summary - A good little summary of stellar evolution, including an example evolutionary track for a star of 1 solar mass.

  • Telescopes - Basic notes.

  • The Chandra X-Ray Observatory Centre - A very good site describing this mission & X-ray astronomy in general.  Great pictures.

  • The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory - Brief description of this project.

  • The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope Project - Details of this project & photographs.

  • The Moon - Historical account of lunar observation, including Galileo's efforts.

  • White Holes & Wormholes - A reasonably simple explanation of these two astrophysical entities.  There is also information on and links to material on relativity & black holes.

  • Why Build Big Telescopes? - An excellent paper providing great ideas for teaching resolution, sensitivity and modern telescope design.  Adobe Acrobat Reader needed.

 

Return to Physics Links Contents

 

 

9.8 FROM QUANTA TO QUARKS:

  • Beta Energy Spectrum - Some basic information on the energy spectrum of electrons and positrons emitted during beta-decay.  Click on the link below the graph to "Experimental energy and momentum distributions" for more detailed information.

  • Bohr Model of Hydrogen Atom - Applet showing energy levels within hydrogen atom.

  • de Broglie Model of Atom - Good explanation plus a good applet showing the arrangement of de Broglie waves around a nucleus.  Go to site & page down to find applet.

  • Fission - Good information on fission and fission bombs.

  • Fusion - Good information on fusion (NOT fission), fusion reactors & links to many other topics of interest. 

  • Heisenberg - A very good site with lots of information on this great physicist.

  • Large Hadron Collider - An excellent site describing the nature and purpose of this amazing particle accelerator.  When it comes on line in 2008 it will be the most powerful accelerator in the world, giving Physicists the means to further test the Standard Model of Matter.

  • Loop Quantum Gravity - An interesting overview of this theory, which is a major competitor with String Theory, for the quantum description of the gravitational field.

  • Manhattan Project 1 - Some basic information.

  • Manhattan Project 2 - Detailed information - links to several important aspects of the project.

  • Manhattan Project 3 - Good information - access to copies of original documents, meeting summaries, petitions to the President of the USA and so.  Very interesting.

  • Nuclear Power FAQ - Is nuclear power the answer to our greenhouse gas problems?  Some answers from Australia's top experts.

  • Nuclide Chart - An excellent table of nuclides.  Click on the coloured section of the miniaturised nuclide chart to go to the required part of the full table.  Once inside, you can move through the actual nuclide chart or you can enter the nuclide you are looking for in the box at the top left and then press enter (eg Tc-99, enter).  You will then go to the information on that nuclide.  Information provided includes, decay paths, emitted particle energies, parent nuclei and much more.

  • Particle Physics & Cosmology - Some key questions posed by the National Academy of Sciences in the USA.  This is a brief statement of the questions.

  • Pauli - A very good site with lots of information on this great physicist.

  • Periodic Table - An excellent Periodic Table containing huge amounts of data.

  • Quantum Computing - Some basic information on quantum computing.

  • Quantum Physics Timeline - An excellent set of notes relevant to the "From Quanta to Quarks Option".
     

  • Quantum Telecloning - Article from Physics Web describing the first demonstration of quantum telecloning.  This is a technique that combines quantum cloning and teleportation into a single step.  It enables quantum information to be sent to more than one receiver.

  • Quantum Tunnelling - A brief introduction to quantum mechanics (the wave picture), an explanation of quantum tunnelling and some interesting links.

  • Quarks & Atomic Structure - Lots of good information.

  • Radioactive Material Applications - Several examples of radioactive materials and their uses.  Ignore the little red crosses in some of the thumbnail boxes.  There is material in most of them.

  • Radiation Technology Applications I - This site deals with medical applications of radioactivity.  Good detail.

  • Radiation Technology Applications II - This is a very good site with comprehensive notes on applications of nuclear energy in a wide variety of fields, including medicine, agriculture and industry.  It does not provide much in the way of actual equations but does give heaps of examples that you could research further.  The site also contains lots of information on other aspects of nuclear energy.

  • Scanning Electron Microscope - its structure & how it works

  • Schrodinger's Cat - This link takes you to the Brainteasers page of this website and the description of the Schrodinger's Cat paradox that resides there.  After reading the paradox, follow the links to the discussion of the paradox itself and then to a description of the domain of quantum mechanics.  Use the back arrow of your browser to get back here.

  • String Theory - A very good site with both basic & advanced explanations of this theory, which is a major candidate for a quantum theory of gravitation.

  • Testing the Standard Model - The production of a large quantity of antimatter may allow some very direct testing of the Standard Model of Matter.

  • The Particle Adventure Roadmap - Excellent site on elementary particles, Standard Model, Quantum Mechanics & more.

  • Unified Physics By 2050? - Very interesting Scientific American article on the search for a unified theory of all four fundamental forces of nature.

  • Uranium and the Community - Applications of radioactive materials in Medicine, Industry & Agriculture - general information - no nuclear equations.  For more detail go to the suggested link & use the search facility provided - eg search for "radioactive material uses".

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