OCR GCSE PHYSICS A Observing the Universe

This section of the website contains suggestions for material that could be used with the OCR 21st century Science GCSE Physics Specification.

OCR is not affiliated with the author of the site and has had no involvement with the content of this website.

I am grateful to OCR for permission to reproduce adapted versions of text from their 21st century Science Specification on this site. For the full version of the specification please see: OCR Physics A J635

P7.1 Observing the sky with the naked eye

Motion of the Sun and planets as seen from the Earth
Planetary motion (14-16)

11- 14/Astronomy/Problems/Earth and beyond 1

Rotation of the Earth and its affect on the view of the motion of the Sun and planets
Foucault's pendulum (14-16)

Phases of the Moon and lunar and solar eclipses
Phases of the Moon (11-14)
Eclipses (11-14)

Measuring the positions of astronomical objects
Measuring astronomical distances (14-16)

Solar and sidereal days
Solar and sidereal days (14-16)

Movement of the stars as seen from the Earth
Stars through the year (14-16)
Stars in June (11-14)
Stars in December (11-14)

Movement of the planets relative to the stars as seen from the Earth
Mars November 2005 (14-16)
Planetary motion (14-16)

Teachers/Creative teaching ideas/Astronomy
11- 14/Astronomy/Experiments/Sundial

14-16/Astronomy/Problems/Observing the Universe 1
11- 14/Astronomy/Problems/Earth and beyond 1
11-14/Astronomy/Problems/Earth and beyond 2
11- 14/Astronomy/Problems/Phases on the Moon

P7.2 Telescopes

Convex and concave lenses
Convex and concave lenses (11-14)
Focal length and power (11-14)

Power of lenses
Focal length and power (11-14)

Images formed by lenses
Lenses image by drawing (11-14)

Light from distant objects
Telescopes (11-14)

Refracting telescopes
Telescopes (11-14)

Magnification of a telescope
Telescopes (11-14)

Reflecting telescopes
Telescopes (11-14)
Schmidt Telescopes (11-14)

Concave mirrors
Curved mirrors (11-14)

14-16/Light/Problems/Observing the Universe 2
11-14/Light/Problems/Optical instruments
11-14/Light/Problems/Reflection and refraction

P7.3 Indentifying objects in the night sky and finding out how far away they are

Parallax
16-19/Astrophysics/Text/Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)
Measuring astronomical distances (14-16)

The parsec and the light year
14- 16/Astronomy/Text/Measuring astronomical distances (14-16)
Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)

Brightness of stars – intrinsic brightness and the distance from the Earth
Brightness of stars (14-16)
Magnitude scale (16-19)

Cepheid variables
Cepheid variables (14-16)
Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)

Distance measurement using Cepheid variables
Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)

The Milky Way
Milky Way (11-14)

Nebulae and telescopes
Milky Way (11-14)
Galaxies (11-14)

Curtis-Shapley debate and the size of the galaxy
Curtis Shapley (14-16)

Hubble and Cepheid variables
Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)

Intergalactic distances and megaparsecs
Distance measurement in astronomy (16-19)
16-19/Astrophysics/Text/Hubble (16-19)

11- 14/Astronomy/Problems/Astronomy
11-14/Astronomy/Problems/Astronomy revision questions
14- 16/Astronomy/Problems/Observing the Universe 3

P7.4 What are stars?

Electromagnetic radiation and the temperature of the source
Wavelength and temperature (14-16)

Ionisation and the emission of light from an atom
Emission of light (14-16)
Quantum theory of radiation (14-16)

The spectra of the stars
Spectra of stars (16-19)

Gases and changes of their pressure, temperature and volume
Boyles Law (14-16)
Molecules in gases (14-16)
Charles Law (14-16)

Absolute zero
Molecules in gases (14-16)
Temperature scales (16-19)

Formation of a protostar
Life and death of stars (14-16)

Nuclear fusion as the source of the Sun's energy
Nuclear fusion (14-16)

Alpha particle scattering
Theories of the atom (14-16)
Alpha particle scattering (16-19)
Teachers/OHTs/Alpha particle scattering1
Teachers/OHTs/Alpha particle scattering2

The nucleus of an atom
Atomic structure (14-16)

Nuclear forces
Nucleus (14-16)

Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion (14-16)

Life and death of stars – red giants and supergiants
Life and death of stars (14-16)

Black holes
Black holes (16-19)
Black holes (14-16)

14-16/Astronomy/Problems/Observing the Universe 4

P7.5 International cooperation in astronomy

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