Can you survive a lightning strike?

Approximately 30% of direct and indirect lightning strikes lead to loss of life, although one person who would have said an emphatic yes to this question was Roy ‘lightning rod’ Sullivan. He was struck by lightning on seven witnessed occasions. Roy was a park ranger in Shenandoah National park in the USA for all his […]

What equations do I need to know for the Edexcel IGCSE physics exam for the Energy Resources and Energy Transfers topic?

In the list below the equations are grouped into the ones that need learning for IGCSE Edexcel double award (4SD0) and Physics only specification (8463). The bold type equations are Paper 2 only. Some of the equations do not need to be learnt but will be given on an insert in the paper. These equations […]

What equations do I need to know for the Edexcel IGCSE physics exam for the Electricity topic?

In the list below the equations are grouped into the ones that need learning for IGCSE Edexcel double award (4SD0) and Physics only specification (8463). The bold type equations are Paper 2 only. Some of the equations at the end do not need to be learnt but will be given on an insert in the […]

What equations do I need to know for the Edexcel IGCSE physics exam for the Astrophysics topic?

In the list below the equations are grouped into the ones that need learning for IGCSE Edexcel double award (4SD0) and Physics only specification (8463). The bold type equations are Paper 2 only. This topic does not require the memorization of any equations and all the equations will be given in the exam. These equations are at […]

What equations do I need to know for the Edexcel IGCSE physics exam for the Solids, Liquids or Gases topic?

In the list below the equations are grouped into the ones that need learning for IGCSE Edexcel double award (4SD0) and Physics only specification (8463). There are no equations in this topic that are paper 2 only so all students of IGCSE Edexcel Physics need to memorize or be able to use all the equations. […]

Astrophysicist says he know how to time travel

Astrophysicist Ron Mallett believes he’s found a way to travel back in time — theoretically. The tenured University of Connecticut physics professor recently told CNN that he’s written a scientific equation that could serve as the foundation for an actual time machine. He’s even built a prototype device to illustrate a key component of his theory — though […]

What equations do I need in Edexcel IGCSE physics for the Forces and Motion topic ?

In the list below the equations are grouped into the ones that need learning for IGCSE Edexcel double award (4SD0) and Physics only specification (8463). The bold type equations are Paper 2 only. Some of the equations at the end do not need to be learnt but will be given on an insert in the […]

Why is there a time gap between lightning and thunder in an electrical storm?

Lightning is an electrical discharge from two areas with a large imbalance in charge. Thunder is a sonic shock wave that is caused by air being made to travel faster than the speed of sound. If you see lightning, then start to count it is possible to work out how far away the eye or […]

How do I learn the equations for the Electricity topic in GCSE or IGCSE Physics exams?

What equations do I need to know for the electricity topic in GCSE or IGCSE Physics exams and how do I learn them? It depends which specification that you are doing but most of the specifications such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel, CIE and Eduqas require memorization or being familiar with the following equations. This list […]

Are there any nice analogies of spin to explain it to A level physics students?

Diagram below has a really nice analogy of integer spin 1,2 and half spin 1/2. It’s a shame any A level physics syllabus ( to my knowledge) doesn’t really seem to explore Quantum numbers except the Principal Quantum number in any level of detail. Quantum physics almost always captures the imagination of 6th formers. Read […]