Physics

Mechanics

Mechanics deals with motion, forces, momentum and energy and includes Newton's Laws of Motion.

Science Learning Hub | Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao

This New Zealand website is a great place to find science articles, activities and videos for intermediate and secondary students. To find information about physics, follow this pathway:

• Choose Concepts from the top of the page.

• Then have a look for topics such as Force and Movement, Newton's laws, or Gravity.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are. We like it because it was created by the University of Waikato and Curious Minds (NZ).

HowStuffWorks

HowStuffWorks is a really good website for finding out how all sorts of things work. Often the articles we find will go over multiple pages, so we need to look through them to find more info. We like HowStuffWorks because all the information is written by experts. You can find out more about the writers of each article by selecting the author's name under the article's title.

• Search using keywords like 'motion'.

• Select an article such as How Newton's Laws of Motion work.

• Choose next to get more information.

Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.

Waves and light

The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves. Light is electromagnetic radiation that stimulates our sight and makes things visible.

Science Learning Hub | Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao

This website also has plenty of information about waves and energy, refraction and reflection, the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as sound waves.

• Choose Concepts from the top of the page.

• Then select the concept Waves.

BBC Bitesize

BBC Bitesize is a website set up to help British students with school work and exam revision. This is a very useful website to explore if you want to know more about physics, however most of the videos will not work in New Zealand.

• Search using some keywords like waves.

• Choose an article that is relevant, like Waves.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Khan Academy

If you like to learn by watching and listening, the Khan Academy is an educational website with lots of videos and articles.

• You can close any pop ups or banners that ask for a donation or to sign up.

• Look down the page and find the Science heading, then select See all Science.

• Then look through for physics topics at different levels. You will be able to find the waves topic under Middle School Physics.

• There are even more physics topics to be found in the High School Physics section too.

Tips: Websites with .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess their reliability. Check the About us link on the website if you can find one. That can tell you the company’s mission and values.

Heat

Heat is a form of energy that can be transferred from one object to another or even created at the expense of the loss of other forms of energy.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC databases, which covers many different topics, including the physics of heat.

• Once you have logged in, choose your level. We recommend starting with Secondary.

• Next, use the search at the top of the page to enter the keyword 'heat'.

• Then choose heat (physics) from the results.

Tips: To use the EPIC resources, you need a password from your school librarian. Or chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday to help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Electricity and Magnetism

Magnetism is the physical force that makes two metal objects pull towards each other or push each other apart.

Science (Gale In Context)

A great place to look for scientific information is EPIC. EPIC is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics, and it's put together especially for New Zealand school students.

This database has lots of articles from encyclopedias, magazines and journals.

• Login using your school password (or ask a librarian on AnyQuestions).

• Look down the page and select the heading Physics and Astronomy.

• Choose a relevant physics topic from the list, such as Magnets and Magnetism or Electricity.

Tips: To use the EPIC resources, you need a password from your school librarian. Or chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday to help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Explain that Stuff

On this website you'll find a collection of articles about science and technology, including many physics topics. There are different ways to find information here.

• Search using keywords like 'magnetism'.

• Select an article such as Magnetism for kids - A simple introduction.

Another way to find information is through their list of topics.

• Choose A-Z index from the top of the page.

• Then choose the topic Electricity and electronics, and look through their list of articles for something relevant to your topic.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, then you can find out answers to questions like 'who writes this'.

Atomic and Nuclear

Atomic and nuclear physics deal with the structure of the atom. It is a branch of physics that falls under the heading 'modern physics'.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC databases, which covers many different topics, including nuclear physics and the structure of the atom.

• Once you have logged in, choose your level. We recommend starting with Secondary.

• Then search using the key word 'nuclear' and look through the results.

• For example, the article nuclear atom (physics) will lead you to a page about the Rutherford model of the atom.

• Another keyword to use is 'atomic'. This should lead you to the article atomic mass (physics).

Tips: To use the EPIC resources, you need a password from your school librarian. Or chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday to help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

NCEA

Here are a couple of websites that have physics information especially for NCEA.

NZQA

The NZQA website has past examination papers and exemplars to check out. Example answers for NCEA papers have answers marked from not achieved up to a low excellence.

• Go to the Subjects page.

• Select Physics.

• Choose the Exemplars, reports, past exams and assessment schedules for the level you are studying.

• Find the correct achievement standard number and open exam papers and exemplars for that standard.

Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

No Brain Too Small

If you are doing NCEA and want to brush up on or revise your physics skills, this is a great place to go.

• Choose Physics from the top of the page, then choose your level.

• Look through the different topic outlines and revision pages for the topic you are studying.

Tips: We like this site because it is run by New Zealand science teachers. To find out more about this website, scroll down to the bottom of the page and look under the About heading.

Books

There are many books available on physics. Have a look for these books, or ask your school or local librarian for help finding more.

• 30-second physics by Brian Clegg.

• The handy physics answer book by Paul W. Zitzewitz.

• Light : the visible spectrum and beyond by Megan Watzke and Kimberly Arcand.

• 100 physics ideas in 100 words : a whistle-stop tour of science's key concepts by David Sang.

• The physics book by Jim Al-Khalili.

SCIS no: 1875437