These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Describe characteristics of objects or substances with high (or low) densities.
• Compare the density of objects that differ in both mass and volume.
• Explain the equation ρ=...

Produced by The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this resource looks at the testing of materials in the context of dentistry. Students first look at the properties of teeth and the nature of toothache before going on to test materials for a range of properties.

Experimental methods...

This video for a-level and GCSE high ability students looks at how we derive units.  It looks at why speed can be measured in m/s and then goes onto to look at the units for force using F=ma and also why we use Joules for energy.  It also discusses the seven main base units and how all units are derived from these...

Aerospace engineers need to take into account the heat generated when the space craft move through the atmosphere at extreme speeds, both during launch and at re-entry, as without proper thermal protection the space craft could be destroyed. Insulating blankets, foams and tiles are used to protect the spacecraft....

This resource gives students a brief overview of the different options available when building a parachute for the CanSat Competition. Students will learn about the underlying physics of parachutes and their design and how to control the speed of their CanSat. 

Learning objectives:

• Understand...

A Catalyst article about a brilliant new light source under construction in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside - the Diamond Light Source. Diamond will be a source of synchrotron light. Many of the everyday commodities people take for granted, from chocolate to cosmetics, from revolutionary drugs to surgical...

This Catalyst article looks at diamonds and shows how they have extraordinary properties: optical, thermal and when exposed to X-rays.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 27, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a science...

With this a-level video tutorial, the presenter talks about how we get the equation speed = distance / time and then looks at the differences between a distance / time and a speed / time graph.  It also demonstrates what the area under the graph represents as well as the gradient.  This can be followed by the...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, this activity takes students through a step-by-step approach to understanding the basic principles of distance-time and velocity-time graphs. Working through the activity will help students to:
* Understand the terms distance, time, velocity and...

This series of Marvin and Milo cards have been pulled together for the International Year of Light 2015. They include eight simple experiments that can be performed at home that link in to the theme of light, using: - A torch and a bottle to show total internal reflection - A glass of water to make a lens - Milk...

This resource, provided by the Association for Science Education (ASE), is a play about the history of radioactivity, and how we discovered its uses and dangers. It was written for students aged 14-16 years on the theme of ideas and evidence.

Drama is very popular with students and can be used to stimulate...

This simple activity from NASA allows classrooms to study rocket stability as students construct and fly small "indoor" paper rockets. The rockets can be used for a range of activities into forces and movement in which students collect data and interpret the results.

From NASA, this resource looks at how bodies in the solar system are classified. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined the terms "planet" and "dwarf planet". The IAU's decision created an opportunity for students to understand the solar system better by considering the definitions of planet,...