Roller Coasters and Relativity

This section of the website contains suggestions for material that could be used with the Edexcel GCSE Physics specification. Edexcel is not affiliated with the author of the site and has had no involvement with the content of this website.

For the latest version of the Edexcel GCSE Physics specification, please visit: Edexcel GCSE Physics

Work, energy and power (Sections 10.1-10.7)

Gravitational potential energy
Potential energy (14-16)

Kinetic energy
Kinetic energy (14-16)

14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Kinetic and potential energy

Electrical energy
Electrical power (14-16)
Volts amps and joules (14-16)
Electrical energy and voltage (14-16)

14-16/Electricity and magnetism/Current electricity/Problems/Voltage and energy

Work and energy transfer
Work (14-16)

14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Trains
14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Work and energy

Power
Power (14-16)

14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Experiments/Power of lamp and small motor
14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Experiments/Power of a person
14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Power
14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Energy work and power

Work = Force x distance
Work (14-16)
Forces and energy (11-14)

14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Work and energy
14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Trains

Conservation of energy
Energy (11-14)

14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Kinetic and potential energy
14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Experiments/Bungee jumping
14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Potential and kinetic energy

Fairground rides and circular motion (Sections 10.8-10.11)

Roller coasters and fairground rides
Fairground rides (16-19)

Acceleration in circular motion
Centripetal force formula (14-16)

Centripetal force
Centripetal force formula (14-16)

14-16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Experiments/Whirling bung
14- 16/Mechanics/Forces in motion/Problems/Circular motion and gravitation

Relativity and other theories (Sections 10.12-10.13)

Relativity
Special relativity (16-19)
Relativity

The reluctance of scientists to accept new theories
Men who shaped astronomy (14-16)
Curtis Shapley (14-16)
(These two examples are from ideas about the structure of the Solar System and then the Universe)

Einstein's theory of relativity, atomic clocks and cosmic rays
Muons time dilation (16-19)
(Parts of the resources for the last three sections are being modified for use at GCSE)