PHYSICS
Pre Induction Task
August 2016
In order to get you fully prepared for Physics A Level, we have set you the following
task. We will be using the skills and understanding shown in this task in the first few
lessons of physics and then throughout your course. You should bring the completed
task to your first physics lesson.
VERY IMPORTANT !!
Please answer the questions on lined A4 paper.
Your work must be handed in at your first Physics lesson or can be uploaded in
advance of the first day of teaching. You can access the pre-induction tasks from the
'New Student Portal' (https://portal.bolton-sfc.ac.uk) and there is a link to the 'New
Student Portal' from the College website. The pre-induction tasks are available to
download from here and once you have already registered on the portal you can
upload any completed tasks via the upload page. If you have any problems registering
or logging onto the portal please contact the College on 01204 846215.
Task 1 - Quantities and Units
1) Read through the following website so you know what quantities and units are
and why they are used in physics: http://www.gcse.com/general/units.htm
2)
Give the unit and unit symbol for the following physical quantities: (Not all of
them are on the website above - Use the Internet)
a) Mass
b) distance
c) Time
d) Electric Current
e) Force
f) Pressure
g) Power
h) Energy
i) Voltage
j) Density
k) Velocity
l) Acceleration
Task 2 -Standard Form
In Physics you will be working with very large and very small numbers. In Astronomy
you will be dealing with very large distances. For example, the distance from Earth to
the nearest star Sirius is 82 000 000 000 000 000 metres. In Atomic Physics you will
be dealing with very small distances. For example, the spacing between atoms in a
solid is about 0.000 000 000 1 metres.
It is not convenient to work with numbers written out in full like this. For this reason,
it is usual when dealing with very large or very small numbers to use Standard form.
In Standard form the number is written as a number between 1 and 10
multiplied by a power of ten.
1
1.) Large Powers: Standard Form into Decimals
e.g. Convert 5.0 x 106 into a decimal. The power of ten tells you how many places to
move the decimal point to the right.
5.0 x 106
=
5000000.0
-
the decimal point moves to the right 6 places
Questions 1
Convert the following numbers in standard form into decimals:
a.) 4.2 x 106
f.) 3.5 x 1011
b.) 5.6 x 103 c.) 2.2 x 105 d.) 1.8 x 108 e.) 5.2 x 102
g.) 7.2 x 109 h.) 1.1 x 101
2.) Large Powers: Decimals to Standard Form
e.g. Convert 82 000 000 000 000 000 into standard form. Put the decimal point after
the first number and count the number of places it needs to be moved to the right.
8.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The decimal point moves to the right 16 places so it is 8.2 x 1016.
Questions 2
Convert the following numbers in decimals into standard form:
a) 3400
g) 430900
b) 120
c) 230000
h) 20540000
d) 1010000
e) 96000000
f) 12
3.) Small Powers: Standard Form into Decimals
e.g. Convert 1.4 x 10-10 into a decimal. The power of ten tells you how many places to
move the decimal point to the left.
1.4 x 10-10
=
0 .0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
=
the decimal point moves to the left 10 places
Questions 3
Convert the following numbers in standard form into decimals:
a) 4.2 x 10-5 b) 1.6 x 10-3 c) 7.2 x 10-1 d) 8.3 x 10-8 e) 5.2 x 10-7
f) 5.7 x 10-11 g) 7.2 x 10-2
2
4.) Small Powers: Decimals to Standard Form
e.g. Convert 0.000005 into standard form Put the decimal point after the first
number and count the number of places it needs to be moved to the left to make
0.000005. The number of places moved is the power.
0.0 0 0 0 0 5.
It is moved 6 places to left so 5.0 x 10-6.
Questions 4
Convert the following numbers in decimals into standard form:
a)0.034
b) 0.00051 c) 0.28
f) 0.0012
g) 0.0000000809
d) 0.0000005
e) 0.00000000096
Task 3 – Unit Prefixes
1.) Read through the following website so you know what unit prefixes are and
why they are used in physics:
http://www.gcse.com/general/prefixes.htm
2.) Give the prefix name and symbol for the following:
(e.g. 10-9 = nano = n)
a) 103
b) 10-3
c) 106
(Use other Website for f) and g)
d) 10-6
e) 109
f) 1012
g) 10-12
3.) You use prefix multipliers (http://www.gcse.com/general/prefixes.htm) to
write units in full.
e.g. 1.2 kW = 1.2 x 1000 W = 1200 W
e.g. 10 mm = 10 x 1/1000 = 0.01 m
Use prefix multipliers to write units in full.
a) 10 MW
b) 3 ms
c) 25 GV
d) 10 s
e) 16 ns
f) 8.6 km
g) 100 mA
h) 15 cm
i) 560 Tm
j) 1.3 nm into m
3
Task 4
Scalars and Vectors
Using these definitions, divide these quantities into vectors and scalars.
density
electric charge
electrical resistance
energy
field strength
force
friction
frequency
mass
momentum
power
voltage
volume
weight
work done
Task 5 Adding Perpendicular Vectors
1.) Use the A Level Physics S-Cool Website http://www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/physics to learn the technique to find the resultant vector.
2.) Solve these problems below on finding resultant vectors.
4
Task 6 – Resolving Vectors
1.) Use the A Level Physics S-Cool Website http://www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/physics or The Physics Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/Lesson-1/Vector-Resolution
to learn the technique used when resolving vectors.
2.) Resolve the following vectors into Vertical and Horizontal Components.
5