Physics concepts resources

Students are given some information on levers. They use this to label the pivot, load, and effort force on four other common examples of levers.

Task: Order wheels according to technological development, then answer questions about advantages and disadvantages of different wheels. Assessment focus: how wheels work.

Task: Match simple machines to items, select length of bar to lift a rock, and draw how to set up bar and a block of wood to lift the rock. Assessment focus: levers.

Students name the force that delivers water to households from a water tower and then explain advantages and disadvantages of a wind-powered pump compared to a petrol-powered pump.

Using the equipment supplied students make a series circuit according to a circuit diagram. Then students are asked to construct another circuit using different criteria and draw as a circuit diagram.

Task: Predict which objects will float. Assessment focus: flotation.

Task: Answer questions about car tyres. Assessment focus: friction; air pressure.

Task: Answer questions about rowing. Assessment focus: levers.

Task: Transfer information from a table to a graph, label the bottom axis and describe the pattern of the data. Assessment focus: graph construction; graph interpretation.

Task: Answer questions about data in a table. Assessment focus: pulleys.

Task: students, in small groups, discuss a concept cartoon about rolling cans, before making a prediction about which will roll further. Assessment focus: making predictions about friction.

From a collection of 9 common objects, students identify those objects that are attracted to magnets.

Students match pictures of six objects to their appropriate energy source from the list provided.

Three key variables related to high altitude flight are displayed graphically. Students use the information provided to answer a series of questions about flight.

Students answer short questions to show their knowledge of heat transfer through metal and plastic spoons.

Task: Identify direction of currents and explain reason for pattern. Assessment focus: convection patterns.

Task: Identify which car will be coolest and explain why. Assessment focus: air currents.

Task: Select what would happen when like poles of a magnet come together, and explain why a plastic rather than a metal car was used in the investigation. Assessment focus: magnetism.

Task: Identify the colours on a taxi sitting under a red streetlight. Assessment focus: Coloured light can be produced by blocking some parts of the spectrum.

Task: explain the effect of temperature on metal and wood. Assessment focus: the effect of heat on different materials.

Students indicate on a circuit diagram where they would place switches in order to achieve various situations, such as the lamps being on, off, and other combinations.

Task: Explain what is meant by 'efficient', calculate the amount of energy produced per second and name three forms of 'waste energy' of steam engines. Assessment focus: energy transformations.

Task: Answer two multiple choice questions. Assessment focus: forces.

Students use the term force to explain why a heavier hammer could drive nails into denser material and explain density.

Students use a diagram of a circuit to answer questions about which bulbs are in parallel and which are in series. Students are also required to put a switch into the circuit diagram provided.