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Unit 1: Thermal, Nuclear & Electrical Physics — Lesson Planner

Unit overview

Notional time: 56 hours (including assessment)
Students explore energy transfers and transformations pivotal to modern industrial societies — heating processes, nuclear reactions, and electricity.

Topic 1: Heating processes (15 hours)

Module 2 — Kinetic particle model and specific heat capacity

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
2.1 30 min Theory Introduce the difference between heat and energy. Describe thermal energy, temperature, kinetic energy, heat and internal energy.
2.2 60 min Practical Practical: Heating water on a hotplate. Investigate the proportional relationship between heat and temperature change. Graphing and analysing data.
2.3 30 min Theory Describe the kinetic particle model of matter.
2.4 60 min Theory Describe the kinetic particle model of matter. Describe microscopic, macroscopic, internal and thermal energy. Total energy of a system.
2.5 30 min Theory Kinetic energy distribution and how heating affects kinetic energy and temperature. Explain that a change in temperature is due to the addition or removal of energy from a system (without phase change).
2.6 30 min Theory Measuring temperature and temperature scales. Use \(T_K = T_C + 273\) to convert temperature measurements.
2.7 30 min Practical Practical: Precision and accuracy of thermometers. Investigate the precision and accuracy of different temperature measuring devices by determining measurement uncertainty.
2.8 60 min Theory Explain heat transfers in terms of conduction, convection and radiation.
2.9 30 min Theory Describe the concept of specific heat capacity. Solve problems using \(Q = mc\Delta T\).
2.10 60 min Practical Practical: Specific heat capacity of a metal — on a hotplate. Investigate specific heat capacity of a substance.
2.11 30 min Theory Review: Kinetic particle model and specific heat capacity — multiple choice, short response and data analysis questions.

Module 3 — Phase changes and energy conservation

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
3.1 90 min Theory Explain why the temperature of a system remains the same during phase change (internal energy and kinetic particle model). Describe specific latent heat. Solve problems using \(Q = mL\).
3.2 30 min Theory Describe thermal equilibrium in terms of temperature and average kinetic energy. Recognise the zeroth law of thermodynamics.
3.3 120 min Theory Solve problems involving specific heat capacity, specific latent heat and thermal equilibrium.
3.4 60 min Practical Practical: Specific heat capacity of liquids — by calorimetry. Use digital measuring devices, correct SI units, significant figures and measurement uncertainty.
3.5 60 min Practical Practical: Mixture of two liquids — calorimetry. Investigate percentage error by comparing theoretical and measured temperatures.
3.6 30 min Theory Explain how a system with thermal energy has the capacity to do mechanical work.
3.7 30 min Theory First law of thermodynamics: \(\Delta U = Q + W\). Energy transfers always result in some heat loss to the environment.
3.8 30 min Theory Describe the concept of efficiency. Solve problems using \(\eta = \frac{\text{energy output}}{\text{energy input}} \times 100\%\). Science as a Human Endeavour — steam engines to internal combustion engines.

Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions (15 hours)

Module 4 — Nuclear model and stability

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
4.1 60 min Theory Describe the nuclear model of the atom. Describe nuclides using \({}^A_Z X\) nomenclature.
4.2 60 min Theory Explain why protons in the nucleus repel each other. Describe the concept of the strong nuclear force. Explain nuclear stability in terms of strong nuclear force, electrostatic repulsion, and relative number of protons and neutrons.

Module 5 — Radioactive decay and half-life

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
5.1 60 min Theory Explain natural radioactive decay in terms of stability. Define alpha, beta positive, beta negative and gamma radiation. Describe penetrating ability, charge, mass and ionisation ability.
5.2 60 min Theory Explain how an excess of protons, neutrons or mass can result in alpha, beta positive and beta negative decay. Solve problems involving balancing nuclear equations.
5.3 60 min Theory Explain how a radionuclide will, through a series of spontaneous decays, become a stable nuclide. Define half-life. Solve radioactive decay problems involving whole numbers of half-lives.
5.4 60 min Practical Practical: Modelling radioactive decay. Use simulations (e.g. PhET Alpha Decay / Beta Decay) to investigate decay processes.

Module 6 — Nuclear energy and mass defect

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
6.1 60 min Theory Describe fission and fusion reactions. Solve problems involving mass defect and binding energy using \(E = mc^2\).
6.2 60 min Theory Interpret a binding energy per nucleon curve. Explain why different elements release energy in fission vs fusion. SHE — nuclear energy applications.
6.3 30 min Theory Review: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions.

Topic 3: Electrical circuits (15 hours)

Module 7 — Current, potential difference and energy flow

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
7.1 60 min Theory Define electric charge, conventional current and electron flow. Solve problems involving \(I = \frac{q}{t}\).
7.2 60 min Theory Define electrical potential difference and EMF. Solve problems involving \(V = \frac{W}{q}\).
7.3 60 min Theory Describe the concept of resistance. Solve problems using Ohm's law \(V = IR\).
7.4 60 min Practical Practical: Ohmic and non-ohmic resistors. Compare characteristics experimentally. Interpret graphical representations of V vs I data to find resistance using the gradient.
7.5 60 min Theory Describe the concept of electrical power. Solve problems using \(P = VI\) and \(P = I^2R\).

Module 8 — Circuit analysis and design

Lesson Time Focus Subject matter
8.1 60 min Theory Describe series and parallel connections. Solve problems involving equivalent resistance in series and parallel circuits.
8.2 60 min Practical Practical: Series and parallel circuits. Investigate voltage and current distribution.
8.3 60 min Theory Solve problems involving circuit analysis — finding equivalent resistance, potential difference and current in series/parallel circuits.
8.4 60 min Theory Describe power dissipation over resistors. Construct electrical circuit diagrams using standard symbols. Describe simple series, parallel and series/parallel circuits.
8.5 60 min Practical Practical: Simple circuits for real-life purposes. Investigate simple circuits for specific applications.
8.6 30 min Theory Review: Electrical circuits.

Assessment (11 hours)

Assessment Focus Details
Data test Unit 1 Topics 1 & 2 Supervised, 60 minutes, calculator and formula book permitted
Student experiment Unit 1 Topic 3 Individual experiment report, up to 2000 words
Research investigation Unit 2 subject matter Individual research report, up to 2000 words
Examination Units 1 & 2 Paper 1 (90 min) + Paper 2 (90 min)