IDEAS FOR A2 PHYSICS PROJECTS (Unit 5)
Working in Space:
 How fast do thermistors and other temperature sensing devices respond and why?
 Heat pipes: On what does their rate of energy transfer depend and why? How efficient are they?
 Solar cells and their efficiency.
 Reflectivity of surfaces.
 Blinds and flaps: how do they affect energy transfer?
 Thermal insulation.
 Micrometeoroid impact protection.
 Resistance of a filament and temperature.
Higher, Faster, Stronger:
 Bounce from a tennis raquet - on what does it depend?
 Bounce and tennis/squash balls.
 Darts.
 Impact forces and trainers.
 Golf ball range and spin.
 Shuttlecock design.
 Deceleration of new and used tennis balls.
Good enough to eat:
 Polarisation on reflection.
 Impact protection of packaging.
 Wrapping materials and their resistance to penetration by water vapour, oxygen...
 The spectra from cracking biscuits.
 Reflectance and crops.
 Greenhouse design and light input.
 Refractive Index and density.
Spare Part Surgery:
 Spectacle lens combinations.
 Composites.
 Strength of glass fibres.
Transport on Track:
 Conductivity of leaves.
 Eddy current braking of coins.
 Efficiency of transformer c-cores.
 Hydrokinetic braking.
 Seat belts/air bags.
Medium is the message:
 Energy stored in capacitors.
 Response times of LEDs and LCDs.
 Effect of claddings on optical fibres.
Build or Bust?
 Resonance in buildings.
 Sound proofing.
 Vibration isolation of a hi-fi unit.
Various:
 Efficiency of windmill/turbine blades
 Shampooing and hair strength.
 Boat hull/sail design and speed.
 Lift on aerofoils & wings.
 Time to blow a fuse.
 Conduction of electrolytes.
 Photoelastic stress analysis.
 Smoke detectors.
 Thermal insulation.
GHU 2001