Resources by Institute of Physics

Episode 531: Neutron Diffraction

Through discussion and a worked example, these activities from the Institute of Physics, help students to look at neutron diffraction. Students calculate the de Broglie wavelength of a neutron and see the sources and uses of neutrons.

In a worked example, using the de Broglie equation, students consider the...

Episode 532: Preparation for Particle Physics Topic

This topic, from the Institute of Physics, help students to gain an understanding of the different sub-atomic particles. They also develop ideas around antiparticles, interactions and the development of the standard model.

There are four learning episodes in this topic:

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Episode 533: The Particle Zoo

Protons, neutrons and electrons are familiar particles of matter. However, students are also likely to have heard of other particles. This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, introduces some of the other sub-atomic particles.

The activities in this episode include:
* establishing students...

Episode 534: Antiparticles and the Lepton Family

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, introduces the lepton family and also to brings in the idea of anti-particles, which annihilate when they meet particles.

The activities include:
* discussions about positrons, neutrinos and muons
* making PET scans
* examining particle...

Episode 535: Particle Reactions

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students consider both hadrons and leptons in particle reactions. They must take account of both conservation of lepton number and conservation of baryon number.

The activities include:
* applying conservation rules
* considering the...

Episode 536: Vector Bosons and Feynman Diagrams

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode considers exchange particles and different types of interactions. Feynman diagrams are used, although these may not be required by all specifications.

The activities in this learning episode examine:
* exchange particles
* interactions...

Episode 537: Preparation for the Deep Scattering and Quarks Topics

From the Institute of Physics, this topic gives clear evidence for the size of the nucleus and for the fact that nucleons are not fundamental particles but contain different parts. This leads onto Gell-Mann and Zweig’s quark model.

The learning episodes in this topic are:

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Episode 538: Electron Scattering

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students follow work on Rutherford scattering to look at diffraction graphs and calculate nuclear diameters.

The activities include:
* student experiment using an optical analogue to show diffraction around spherical objects
* diffraction...

Episode 539: Deep Inelastic Scattering

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students use an analogue experiment to illustrate electron scattering by quarks. In the model, magnets are concealed in a box. Their poles represent ‘charges’ which are probed using a freely-suspended magnet. This helps to demonstrate that each of the...

Episode 540: Quarks and the Standard Model

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode encourages students to investigate the quark model, which creates relative order out of the chaos of particle classification.

Quarks have three ‘colour’ charges, and the rule for stability is that combinations must be colourless.

The activities...