Physics – Advanced Higher

The data handling book produced for the new Higher is useful at Advanced Higher too and there’s an extension now that deals with uncertainties at AH level.

Download the Data Analysis booklet

Download the AH Uncertainties booklet

Download a scan of the HSDU document’s page on calibration uncertainties

Here are guides to some of the core experiments for Advanced Higher courses. There are also ideas on performing core experiments in our Wiimote^® and Tracker guides on the main AH page.

Central acceleration and angular velocity

This uses a wireless accelerometer. If you don’t have one, download the Wiimote^® guide on the main AH page.

Download the activity here

Central force and angular velocity

Here we have worked out the masses and radii that give reasonable results for the “whirling bung” experiment.

Download the activity here

Force on a current-carrying wire

Uses standard lab equipment.

Download the activity here

Other experiments

This booklet covers Newton’s Rings, e/m, Wedge fringes, the Doppler Effect (but see the new activity on our Higher pages), electromagnetic braking, moment of inertia and polarisation.

Download the booklet here

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection

This is very similar to quantum tunnelling.

Download the guide here

Classical Analogue of the Uncertainty Principle

You can use apps to show that, for a sound wave, as the uncertainty in time decreases, the uncertainty in frequency increases. This then links to the Uncertainty Principle via the equation E = hf.

Download the guide here

The Wiimote^® contains a three axis accelerometer and an infrared position detector. This makes it useful for studying central acceleration and SHM.

Download our guide here

Tracker is a terrific, free package for analysing videos and still images. Download our guide and read about the Tobermory Method for investigating angular acceleration versus torque. This ingenious technique was developed by a delegate at one of our CPD courses.

Download the guide here

Download a video tutorial

Download a trouble-shooting guide

Here are some activities that might form part of an Advanced Higher investigation

Radioactivity experiments

Op-amps

Video analysis of Brownian Motion

Investigating Induction

Quantitative Doppler Effect experiments

g using a stream of water

At SSERC, the Physics Team likes to help out with investigations. We don’t offer “off  the shelf” investigations, but can work with you to develop ideas. We lend certain pieces of apparatus (subject to certain conditions) and allow small numbers of students, accompanied by their teacher, to come to SSERC to use equipment that we keep here. The students have to know what they want to do before they come, though! We’ll be available, if needed, to help set up and operate the kit. Get in touch to see how we can help.

Norman.Bethune@sserc.org.uk

This experiment could form part of an Advanced Higher Investigation on Planck’s Constant

Download here

The techniques in this guide may help you with some Advanced Higher core and investigation experiments. They include an alternative Newton’s Rings method, the water stream method for “g” (also described elsewhere) and a technique for measuring the viscosity of air using a deflating soap bubble.

Download here.

Here are some experiments suitable for investigations that you can carry out with minimal financial outlay.

The experiments include:

Air cell

Compound pendulum

Current balance

Diffraction grating to find n for water

Moment of inertia

Moment of inertia (broom stick about different axes)

Optical activity

Permittivity Reed Switch

Permittivity EHT supply

Resonant frequency of a wire

Download them all as a zip file here