This video recaps on the idea that light sent along an optical fibre requires total internal reflection for it to progress along its length. It explains that information is sent as a series of on – off signals.  However, if light rays take different paths they can be modally dispersed, and this can degrade the...

This video models refraction using a vehicle travelling from a concrete surface to a grass surface and shows how the forward wheel slows and so the vehicle changes direction.

A diagram is then constructed to develop Snell’s law, i.e., the angle of incidence (from air) is proportional to the angle of...

This video explains how two waves passing through each other interact through the process of superposition.

The resultant interference of waves at phase differences of 0⁰ or 360⁰ is constructive, they are additive.  Whereas phase differences of 180⁰ produce destructive interference, i.e., they cancel each...

This video begins by showing a demonstration of total internal reflection (TIR) through a semi-circular glass block.

It develops an understanding of TIR by showing that as the angle of incidence (θ_i) increases so too does the angle of refraction (θ_r).  Eventually, as  θ_i is...

This video shows how interference from two sound wave sources can produce both constructive (louder sound) and destructive (softer sound) interference patterns.  A demonstration using microwaves reinforces this idea. Microwaves are generated and passed through a double slit.  The resultant interference of waves is...

This booklet contains a range of suggested teaching activities and contexts for teaching about waves at A level. Curriculum links include  progressive, longitudinal, transverse, stationary, waves, intensity, electromagnetic spectrum, properties of waves, refraction, total internal reflection, superposition,...

Ways of Living, from the SISCON...

The We Are Aliens! teaching resources were produced to support the planetarium show made by NSC Creative. They have been produced by lead educators from the National Space Academy to use the context of space to teach physics, chemistry and biology in the curriculum. The resources contain practical activities,...

This Catalyst article investigates how polymer materials can be designed and printed with electrical properties that allow them to be used in wearable electronic devices. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science...

This Nuffield Working with Science unit was designed to help students to appreciate why the study of weather is important. The topic was planned to cover factors that influence the weather and the reasons why weather forecasters need to collect a large amount of...

The Wellcome Trust Monitor is a unique survey of UK adults' and young people's views of science, biomedical research and science education.

* Wave 1 (the baseline survey) was conducted in 2009 by the National Centre for Social Research who interviewed 1,179 adults and 374 young people.
*Wave 2 was...

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute’s Public engagement...

From the Wellcome Trust, these short animations can be downloaded and used in the classroom. The animations help students to understand a range of biological processes and diseases. These include:
* The genome, methods used in DNA sequencing and the translation and transcription of DNA into proteins
*...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust, these resources include an interactive evolutionary tree and a video of the Tree of Life. These materials will help students to find out more about the work of Charles Darwin and evolution. The resources contain:

Tree of life video: The video is a short...

This Catalyst article looks at sperm whales and their ways of communications. Sperm whales can dive deep into the ocean. They use sound waves to communicate in the dark and to detect their prey.

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