Physics News from the AIP No 2, Term 1 2005



VicPhysics News: Term 4, No 2, 2015

Dear ,

The Vicphysics Newsletter has had a makeover. We hope you find it easier to navigate around the newsletter's many and varied stories.

In this issue we feature resources on the Nobel Prize in Physics for the confirmation that neutrinos have mass. The neutrino is new to the course next year, so some of the articles and the videos may provide you with some extra background.

Our last networking meeting looked at how to 'manage multiple options' in Unit 2 next year. There is a link to a webpage on our website for the many ideas that were generated.

We are also running short PD activities on 'Thermodynamics' and 'What is Matter? in exchange for assisting the judging of our Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament.

Regards,

Dan O'Keeffe

on behalf of the VicPhysics Teachers' Network

Table of Contents

1. Managing Multiple Options: Some ideas

2. 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics: for the discovery ... that shows neutrinos have mass

3. Videos from Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament

4. Juggling Giant Newton's Cradles: A Youtube video

5. Feynman Poetry on Atoms

6. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics: A bestselling book by Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist

7. Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse: Analysis of film and video footage

8. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public

a) Tune into the skies: how to do cosmology in the radio, 6:30pm, 23rd October, Swinburne University

b) An Evening with BUZZ ALDRIN - Mission to Mars, 8pm, 29th November, Melbourne Town Hall

9. Forthcoming events for Teachers

a) Kip Thorne: A Century of Relativity: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, 7:30pm, 21st October, Monash University

b) Materials in Flatland: A Public Lecture by Nobel Laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov, 6pm, 26th October, Monash University

c) Focus on Physics In-Service Day, 13th November, University of Melbourne

d) Mini PDs on Thermodynamics and What is matter? 1st, 2nd December, University High School

e) 2016 Physics Teachers ' Conference: Keynote speakers, Karaoke and Workshops

Offers to present a workshop or contribute to the Karaoke are still being accepted

10. Physics News from the Web

a) Ultrathin transistor can be turned on with a tiny voltage

b) Genetic engineering boosts energy transport in artificial photosynthesis

c) Seventy Years Later, Atomic Bombs Still Influence Health Research

This newsletter is compiled by the Vicphysics Teachers' Network Inc.

The next meeting of the Vicphysics Teachers' Network will be at 5pm on Tuesday, 17th November at University High School. This meeting will focus on preparing our annual question by question review of the Physics exam, which is sent to VCAA. All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. If you would like to attend, please contact Vicphysics at vicphys@

1. Networking Meeting: Ideas on 'Managing Multiple Options in Unit 2'

The last networking meeting focussed on 'Managing Multiple Options'. Once again the discussion was worthwhile and produce a couple of pages of suggestions. These can be found on our website at .

The resources from the previous meetings on Thermodynamics and What is matter? can be found at and , resp

The next networking meetings will be held in 2016. The meetings in the second half of 2016 will focus on Units 3 & 4 for 2017, but we welcome suggestions for topics for networking meetings to be held in the first half of 2016, please send them to Vicphysics at vicphys@.

2. 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics: for the discovery ... that shows neutrinos have mass

With the introduction of neutrinos into Unit 1 VCE Physics, some of the resources associated with this Nobel Prize may be useful in providing you with some background to this topic, particularly in answering any of those tricky questions.

Takaaki Kajita Arthur B. McDonald

The resources include:

• The Nobel Prize website, , which has links to a 6 page 'popular' description and a 20 page 'advanced' description.

• The PhysicsWorld article on the Nobel Prize with links to relevant background articles that have been published over the years.

• A PhysicsWorld blog looking at the implications with an engaging video of the physics of the discovery.

• Free Download: Teaching the Science behind the Nobel Prize. The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has compiled 10 articles from previous editions of The American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher and made them available as a free download until the end of October.

• An engaging 'Sixty Symbols' Youtube video prepared after the announcement.

• Physics Today article announcing the Nobel Prize.

• Inside Science article announcing the Nobel Prize

• An Inside Science blog discussing the Nobel Prize.

3. Videos from Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament

At last year's Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament, Terry Tan from John Monash Science School videoed the competition as did some of the other teachers. Terry has edited the footage into two packages, i) a short one using extracts from different contests to show the key features of a contest and ii) a longer one of one complete contest.

The videos can be accessed at short version at and a full complete contest at Details of the three topics the students investigated are at .

If you plan to enter teams in this year's event or are considering the events for next year, pleas check out the videos.

The Vicphysics Committee appreciates the tremendous amount of work by Terry in chasing up school approvals and then editing the material into these packages.

4. Juggling Giant Newton's Cradles: Youtube video

The short video show a juggler juggling balls in the air along with the rebound ball from a giant cradle, then he moves on to more cradles.

5. Feynman Poetry on Atoms

The short poem at this website by Richard Feynman reads very well , The website 'Physics Central' also seem worth exploring for other hidden treasures.

6. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics: A bestselling book by Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist

A tiny, 83-page book about some of the basic principles of physics has been a surprise hit in Italy– becoming the single bestselling book of any kind to be published in the country this year.

The book has now been translated into English. See a PhysicsWorld interview with the author at

Publisher's description: "Everything you need to know about modern physics, the universe and our place in the world in seven enlightening lessons "

"Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world. And it's breathtaking"

"These seven short lessons guide us ... through the scientific revolution that shook physics in the twentieth century and still continues to shake us today. In this beautiful and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Carlo Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind. In under eighty pages, readers will understand the most transformative scientific discoveries of the twentieth century and what they mean for us. Not since Richard Feynman's celebrated best-seller Six Easy Pieces has physics been so vividly, intelligently and entertainingly revealed"

7. Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse: Analysis of film and video footage

The AAPT publication 'The Physics Teacher' has released an article on the various versions of footage of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. The article analyses the frame rates of the various technologies to identify which format is the most accurate.



Article supplied by Gary Bass.

8. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public *

a) Tune into the skies: how to do cosmology in the radio, 6:30pm, 23rd October, Swinburne University

Speaker: Dr Laura Wolz, University of Melbourne.

Abstract: Radio telescopes have made numerous appearances in media and films due to their huge, mechanical appearances contrasting with the natural background. The gigantic size of the dishes are essential for observing cosmic objects in high resolution following the basic rule: the longer the wavelength, the bigger the dish. The construction efforts are worthwhile because radio waves can pass our atmosphere nearly unobscured and thus allow us to view the Universe whether it is sunny or cloudy. But what are we looking at? Every galaxy emits a wide range of radio waves, including our own Milky Way, allowing us to measure the positions of the galaxies in space. Radio waves also carry information about the interior of galaxies, namely their hydrogen content. Radio telescopes can be used as cartographers to map the cosmic landscape by their hydrogen emission. This allows us to see areas unobtainable through visible light and take a glimpse how the Universe looked when it was less than half of its age. We can use both, galaxy catalogues and cosmic maps, to explore how the Universe evolved to the present state. We can learn how space floated apart after the Big Bang, how gravity pulls structures together and how dark energy is mysteriously speeding up the expansion of the cosmos.

Venue: Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus, BA Building, Room BA302 Map:

Click on following link to register, and see details below.

 

b) An Evening with BUZZ ALDRIN - Mission to Mars, 8pm, 29th November, Melbourne Town Hall

Buzz Aldrin will be interviewed by journalist, Ray Martin on his time as a fighter pilot in Korea, his role space history with Gemini 12 and the Apollo 11 moon landing and prospects for the future.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster from $83

9. Forthcoming events for Teachers *

a) Renewable Energy Superpower, 5:30pm, Monday 19 October, University of Melbourne

Time: 5:30 - 7:30

Venue: Theatre A, Elizabeth Murdoch Building

Abstract: At this lecture, Beyond Zero Emission's groundbreaking new report Renewable Energy Superpower will be launched and a panel will discuss how Australia can harness our renewable resources to become a global energy player.

The world is approaching a tipping point in the transition from polluting energy to sustainable and clean energy. This is a timely opportunity for Australia to re-capture our disappearing energy advantage. Domestic energy prices have increased steeply and commodity exports are rapidly falling out of favour. Having supported the economy in the past, Australia's emissions-intensive energy resources are now a liability. Australia's world class renewable energy resources will be the basis of internationally low priced energy once more. This will be a sustained advantage, supporting a productive economy into the future.

Speakers are:

• Tim Buckley, Energy Finance Studies, Australasia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)

• Gerard Drew, Research Director Beyond Zero Emissions

• Prof Ross Garnaut, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Research Fellow in Economics

• Fergus Green, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College, London

To book and more details go to:



b) Kip Thorne: A Century of Relativity: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, 7:30pm, 21st October, Monash University

Speaker: Kip Thorne

Venue: South 1 Lecture Theatre, Clayton Campus, Monash University

Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Cost: Free, but you should book at

Speaker: Kip Thorne, who is the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). During his academic career at Caltech he co-founded the LIGO Project to open up the gravitational-wave window onto the universe, and he co-authored the book 'Gravitation'. In 2009 he transitioned into a new career of writing, film, and research on the nonlinear dynamics of warped spacetime. His first film project was Interstellar for which he was the science advisor and executive producer.

c) Materials in Flatland: A Public Lecture by Nobel Laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov, 6pm, 26th October, Monash University

Venue: South 1 Lecture Theatre, Clayton Campus, Monash University

Time: 6pm - 7pm, refreshments from 5pm

Abstract: When one writes with a pencil, thin flakes of graphite are left on a surface. Some of them are only one angstrom thick and can be viewed as individual atomic planes cleaved away from the bulk. This strictly two dimensional (2D) material called graphene, was presumed not to exist in the free state and remained undiscovered until a few years ago.

The very unusual electronic properties of this material, as well as the possibility for its chemical modification, make graphene a promising candidate for future electronic applications. Probably the most important 'property' of graphene is that it has opened a floodgate of experiments on many other 2D atomic crystals. They cover a massive range of properties: from the most insulating to the most conductive, from the strongest to the softest.

d) Focus on Physics In-Service Day, 13th November, University of Melbourne

The Program for the Focus on Physics Day is:

• Undertaking science that matters with the Australian Synchrotron: How the smallest things can have the biggest impact on our lives with Prof Andrew Peele, Australian Synchrotron

• The Bridge between Physics and Engineering: Putting the theory of mechanics into practice with Dr Elisa Lumantarna from the School of Engineering at Melbourne University

• Modern astrophysics and the night sky: The Shared Sky: modern astrophysics and the night sky viewed through the lens of ancient Greece and aboriginal astronomy with Dr Alan Duffy is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Astrophysics and Computing at Swinburne University

• The world of Particle Physics: Collisions can reveal the nature of matter with Professor Raymond Volkas is Head of the School of Physics at Melbourne University, and Director of the Melbourne Node of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Particle Physics at the Terascale (CoEPP).

The cost is $110 and includes lunch.

For more details and to register go to

e) Mini PD on Thermodynamics and What is matter? at VYPT, 1st, 2nd December, University High School

The number of teams participating in VYPT have been increasing each year. The greater numbers puts pressure on providing enough judges. As an incentive to encourage teachers to come along to check out the event and to assist with the judging, as part of the day there will be two one hour presentations for such teachers on course planning for the two new Areas of Study in Unit 1: 'Thermodynamics' and 'What is Matter? The presentations will cover: new concepts, practical activities, resources and assessment ideas.

Judging is done by a team of three, with at least one experienced judge. The preparation for judging involves about 45 minutes pre-reading and the task involves assessing students. The same mini PD will be offered on each day.

Dates: Tuesday, 1st and Wednesday, 2nd December

Venue: Elizabeth Blackburn School of Sciences at University High School

To register for the mini-PD and judging VYPT, please email Vicphysics events@ with subject: Registration: Mini PD giving name, school and on which date you wish to attend.

f) 2016 Physics Teachers ' Conference: Keynote speakers, Karaoke and Workshops.

Offers to present a workshop or contribute to the Karaoke are still being accepted

Keynote speakers will address two aspects of the What is Matter? Area of Study.

• Cosmology: From the Big Bang to Formation of Atoms. Dr Phillip Urquijo, University of Melbourne and CoEPP

• Particle Physics: From Alpha particles to Quarks. Prof Emma Ryan-Weber, Swinburne University

Karaoke Session

The Karaoke session will immediately follow the after lunch keynote. Four 15 minute presentations in each of three adjacent venues.

If you:

• have developed a new demo or prepared a clever worksheet,

• have tried a different teaching approach,

• found some fantastic websites,

• run an amazing open day program,

• attract increasing number of Year 10's into Physics.

• liaise with the local primary school,

and want to share them with your colleagues for just 15 minutes, pleas email Vicphysics at events@ . A partial discount on the conference fee is available.

Workshops

If you would like a full discount on the conference fee, then you could offer a full workshop.

A distinctive feature of our conferences has been the large number of teachers who offer workshops about what they do. These workshops are not only beneficial for other teachers, but they also significantly enhance the curriculum vitae of the presenters and their own personal skills.

Also as with the 2015 conference, this program will include a strand of workshops on teaching the Physics aspects of Yrs 7 - 10 Science. These will be for teachers of Year 7 - 10 Science without a physics background.

If you would like to offer a workshop, either for your fellow physics teachers or on Year 7 - 10 Science, please register the workshop on the STAV website , select Conferences/PD and go down to 'Presenters' and complete the online submission.

The Conference will be on Friday 19th February at Monash University.

10. Physics News from the Web

Items selected from the bulletins of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Institute of Physics.

Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.

a) Ultrathin transistor can be turned on with a tiny voltage

b) Genetic engineering boosts energy transport in artificial photosynthesis

c) Seventy Years Later, Atomic Bombs Still Influence Health Research

a) Ultrathin transistor can be turned on with a tiny voltage



A new transistor with an atomically thin current-carrying channel that operates at ultralow supply voltages has been unveiled by a team of researchers in the US. The new device, which is made from a 2D semiconducting crystal and a bulk germanium substrate, can be switched on at just 0.1 V. It could be used to create extremely dense and lower-power integrated circuits, and could also form the basis of ultrasensitive sensors of biological molecules.

Field-effect transistors (FETs) are the workhorses of modern-day electronics, and the size of FETs have been decreasing steadily over the last few decades – allowing more and more devices to be packed onto computer chips. However, this relentless downsizing cannot go on forever, and chip designers are running into major difficulties. One challenge on the horizon is that the switching of conventional FETs is limited by a quantity known as "sub-threshold swing" that cannot be lower than 60 mV per decade of drain current at room temperature. This puts a lower limit on the supply voltage required to operate the FET, which makes it difficult to create the low-power devices needed for the denser chips of the future.

b) Genetic engineering boosts energy transport in artificial photosynthesis



A genetically engineered virus has been used as a scaffold to optimize the transport of energy through organic materials. Done by scientists in the US and Italy, the research could provide useful insight into energy transport in photosynthesis, and could also have industrial applications in solar cells, sensing and medical diagnostics.

Plants and organic photovoltaic cells capture energy from sunlight using molecules called chromophores. When light hits a chromophore, it creates a bound electron–hole pair called an exciton. This exciton then diffuses through neighbouring chromophores until it reaches an acceptor, where excitons are collected and separated to create a voltage. Therefore the efficiency of an organic photovoltaic cell can be improved by maximizing the chance that an exciton will reach an acceptor before the electron and hole recombine, destroying the exciton and losing its energy as heat.

c) Seventy Years Later, Atomic Bombs Still Influence Health Research



Studies of radiation’s effects on atomic bomb survivors began in 1946 with the American-led Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, which later became an American-Japanese partnership known as the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, or RERF, now based in Hiroshima. RERF’s Life Span Study came to encompass around 94,000 survivors who were within a few kilometers from one of the bomb hypocenters, and a 26,000-person control group of people who were farther away and received no significant radiation from the bombs.

Japan has rigorously tracked tumuors in its citizens since the 1950s, which has provided RERF scientists with much of the data they need. Additionally, a fraction of the study population comes in once every two years for medical exams.

“There’s no other study [of radiation effects] that can match it in terms of the statistical power and the precision of the estimates,” said epidemiologist Roy Shore, who recently retired from RERF

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