There are 79 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Physics, you may find related items under Applications.
Broad Topics > Applications > Physics
Gravity Paths
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Where will the spaceman go when he falls through these strange planetary systems?
The Not-so-simple Pendulum 2
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Things are roughened up and friction is now added to the approximate simple pendulum
Go Spaceship Go
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Show that even a very powerful spaceship would eventually run out of overtaking power
A Question of Scale
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Use your skill and knowledge to place various scientific lengths in order of size. Can you judge the length of objects with sizes ranging from 1 Angstrom to 1 million km with no wrong attempts?
The Not-so-simple Pendulum 1
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
See how the motion of the simple pendulum is not-so-simple after all.
Cannon Balls
Age 16 to 18 Short Challenge Level:
How high will a ball taking a million seconds to fall travel?
Escape from Planet Earth
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
How fast would you have to throw a ball upwards so that it would never land?
Whoosh
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
A ball whooshes down a slide and hits another ball which flies off the slide horizontally as a projectile. How far does it go?
Lunar Leaper
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Gravity on the Moon is about 1/6th that on the Earth. A pole-vaulter 2 metres tall can clear a 5 metres pole on the Earth. How high a pole could he clear on the Moon?
Big and Small Numbers in Chemistry
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Get some practice using big and small numbers in chemistry.
Alternative Record Book
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
In which Olympic event does a human travel fastest? Decide which events to include in your Alternative Record Book.
The Amazing Properties of Water
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
Find out why water is one of the most amazing compounds in the universe and why it is essential for life. - UNDER DEVELOPMENT
Stemnrich - Technology
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
This is the technology section of stemNRICH - Core.
Construct the Solar System
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
Make an accurate diagram of the solar system and explore the concept of a grand conjunction.
Guessing the Graph
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you suggest a curve to fit some experimental data? Can you work out where the data might have come from?
Ancient Astronomical Terms
Age 11 to 18
Some explanations of basic terms and some phenomena discovered by ancient astronomers
Maths in the Undergraduate Physical Sciences
Age 16 to 18
An article about the kind of maths a first year undergraduate in physics, engineering and other physical sciences courses might encounter. The aim is to highlight the link between particular maths. . . .
Perfect Eclipse
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Use trigonometry to determine whether solar eclipses on earth can be perfect.
Pack Man
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
A look at different crystal lattice structures, and how they relate to structural properties
Ramping it Up
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Look at the calculus behind the simple act of a car going over a step.
Motorbike Momentum
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
A think about the physics of a motorbike riding upside down
Moving Stonehenge
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
A look at the fluid mechanics questions that are raised by the Stonehenge 'bluestones'.
The Power of Dimensional Analysis
Age 14 to 18
An introduction to a useful tool to check the validity of an equation.
Diamonds Aren't Forever
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Ever wondered what it would be like to vaporise a diamond? Find out inside...
Modelling Assumptions in Mechanics
Age 16 to 18
An article demonstrating mathematically how various physical modelling assumptions affect the solution to the seemingly simple problem of the projectile.
Mach Attack
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Have you got the Mach knack? Discover the mathematics behind exceeding the sound barrier.
Pumping the Power
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
What is an AC voltage? How much power does an AC power source supply?
Keep Your Momentum Going
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
A look at a fluid mechanics technique called the Steady Flow Momentum Equation.
Sweeping Satellite
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Derive an equation which describes satellite dynamics.
Levels of Bohr
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Look at the units in the expression for the energy levels of the electrons in a hydrogen atom according to the Bohr model.
Ideal Axes
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Explore how can changing the axes for a plot of an equation can lead to different shaped graphs emerging
The Real Hydrogen Atom
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Dip your toe into the world of quantum mechanics by looking at the Schrodinger equation for hydrogen atoms
The Lorentz Force Law
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Explore the Lorentz force law for charges moving in different ways.
Hold Still Please
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Can you arrange a set of charged particles so that none of them start to move when released from rest?
Cobalt Decay
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Investigate the effects of the half-lifes of the isotopes of cobalt on the mass of a mystery lump of the element.
The Ultra Particle
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Explore the energy of this incredibly energetic particle which struck Earth on October 15th 1991
Striking Gold
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Investigate some of the issues raised by Geiger and Marsden's famous scattering experiment in which they fired alpha particles at a sheet of gold.
Constantly Changing
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Many physical constants are only known to a certain accuracy. Explore the numerical error bounds in the mass of water and its constituents.
Lennard Jones Potential
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Investigate why the Lennard-Jones potential gives a good approximate explanation for the behaviour of atoms at close ranges
Approximately Certain
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
Estimate these curious quantities sufficiently accurately that you can rank them in order of size
Big and Small Numbers in Physics
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Work out the numerical values for these physical quantities.
Whose Line Graph Is it Anyway?
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Which line graph, equations and physical processes go together?
Engnrich
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
engNRICH is the area of the stemNRICH Advanced site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of engineering
Physnrich
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
PhysNRICH is the area of the StemNRICH site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of physics
Chemnrich
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
chemNRICH is the area of the stemNRICH site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of chemistry, designed to help develop the mathematics required to get the most from your study. . . .
