Physics News from the AIP Term 1, No 2, 2015
Table of Contents
1. New Physics Study Design: Staged introduction and expected release
2. Physics Teachers Conference: An Update
· Karaoke Session
· $400 Grants from Laby Foundation
· Workshops update
3. Second Hand Equipment: What's left
4. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public *
a) Cosmic Furnaces and the Origin of the Elements, 8pm, Weds, 11th February, Clayton Campus, Monash University
b) Planet Formation through Radio Eyes, 6:30pm, 13th February, Swinburne University
c) Physics Lectures for VCE Students, 6pm 19th February, University of Melbourne
d) Physics Days at Luna Park - Update: Tues, Wed are fully booked
5. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) Physics Teachers' Conference - Registrations open.
b) Physics in General Science Conference - Registrations open
c) Why a blue LED was worth a Nobel Prize, 6:15 pm, Thursday 26th February, University of Melbourne
6. Physics News from the Web
a) How to twist light into a Möbius strip
b) Oppenheimer and the Bomb: The Play
c) New optical fibre shortens laser pulses the easy way
d Nailing the half-life of iron-60
* Events listed for the first time are in bold with details below. The details of the other events can be found on our website at www.vicphysics.org/forthcomingevents.html or in previous newsletters at www.vicphysics.org/aipnews.html
This newsletter is compiled by the Australian Institute of Physics (Victorian Branch) Education Committee.
The next meeting of the AIP Education Committee will be at 5pm on Tuesday, 10th February at University High School at which the Committee will prepare its review of the exam paper. All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. You don't need to be a member of the AIP to get involved. If you would like to attend, please contact the chair, Sue Grant, at .
1. New Physics Study Design: Staged introduction and expected release
The VCAA bulletin of last week announced that the new Physics Study Design will be phased in. Units 1 & 2 will start in 2016 and Units 3 & 4 will start in 2017. The actual study design is expected to be released later this week and will be found at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/futuresd.aspx
During 2015 VCAA will be conducting information briefings around the state. There are workshops on course planning for Units 1 & 2 at this year's conference. The AIP Committee will be generating course development material and resources, which will be placed on the vicphysics website, but there will be no other professional development activities in 2015.
The 2016 Conference will have workshops of specific topics from Units 1 & 2 as well as course planning workshops for Units 3 & 4. It is expected that VCAA will also run in 2016 information briefings specifically on Units 3 & 4 with emphasis on assessment and the exam.
2. Physics Teachers Conference: An Update
· Karaoke Session
The 2:30pm session at the conference is a Karaoke session of four short presentations in each of three adjacent rooms. Participants are encouraged to move from room to room as the topics interest them.
The topics and presenters are in the table below, with a description of each at www.vicphysics.org/conf2015.html
Banquet Room West / Banquet Room Centre / Banquet Room EastVictorian Young Physicists' Tournament: what students do, the benefits to them and the role of the teacher. Russell Downie, PLC / Physics Enrolments: Past, Present and Future. Dan O'Keeffe, AIP Ed Comm / Electronics with Yenka. Paul Cuthbert, University High School
Satellites in Schools. Paul Butler, Lauriston Girls' School / Integrating Computer-Aided Design into the Astrophysics Detailed Study. Milorad Cerovac, King David School / Space Camp. Paul Natoli, Ballarat High School
Video highlights of VYPT 2014 / Video highlights of VYPT 2014 / Video highlights of VYPT 2014
Flipped Classroom and Light: Spiro Liacos, Cheltenham Secondary College / A proposal for a Physics Demonstration Library. Kristian Grayson, University of Melbourne / VCE System Engineering. Colin Chapman, Caroline Chisholm Catholic College
· $400 Grants to attend Physics Teachers Conference from Laby Foundation
The Laby Foundation is offering grants to teachers and schools with the aim of building the capacity in physics teaching across Victoria, specifically targeting (but not solely limited to) disadvantaged and rural schools.
They have provided funds to assist teachers to attend the 2015 Physics Teachers' Conference and have asked the AIP Education Committee to administer the scheme. Teachers and/or schools can receive up to $400 to assist with travel costs, the conference fee and CRT costs. The grant will equal either the total cost or $400, whichever is smaller.
The number of grants are limited. Applications are to be received by the Education Committee by Friday, 13th February with successful applicants advised on that date. They will need to then personally register for the conference with STAV including the registration payment. After the conference they will need to submit a report of their experiences at the conference at which time reimbursement to the teacher and/or the school will be made.
Applicants will need to provide a case for sponsorship (a substantiated statement) based on the following selection priorities:
1. Geographical and/or socio-economic disadvantage.
2. Low participation in VCE physics and/or low science profile in the school (Data should include: Physics student numbers for Years 11 and 12, male and female, for the current and previous two years, as well as Year level student numbers for Years 10, 11 and 12, male and female, for the current and previous two years)
3. Infrequent representation of the school at recent Physics Teachers' Conferences.
4. Other disadvantages identified by applicant.
How to apply:
Complete the application form found at: http://www.vicphysics.org/conf2015.html . Your application should include a statement addressing one or more of the selection priorities, totaling no more than 500 words.
Send the completed form to : Laby Foundation Grants, c/- Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee, PO Box 3054, Richmond VIC 3121 or email it to the Committee at with subject 'Laby Foundation application'.
· Workshops update
Workshops Cancelled The following workshops have been cancelled:
A12, A15, A23, B16, B24, D16, D17, D18, E10, E11.
Workshop E9: '2016 Study Design: Units 3 &4 Exams'. A large number of participants have chosen E9 possibly assuming that the new course for Units 3 & 4 will start 2016. VCAA has decided that the new Units 3 & 4 will start in 2017. If you wish to change your selection for session E, please email STAV at indicating which other Session E workshop you would prefer.
Details of the conference program and how to register are in item 5a below.
3. Second hand Equipment: What's Left?
The last newsletter mentioned second hand equipment that was surplus to requirements from Box Hill High School, Monash University and Holmesglen TAFE. Most of the big items as well as those for which there were only a few available went within the day. However there is still much that is available. This includes:
· Dual Trace CROs (Trio, Hameg and Hung Chung)
· Analog meters,
· Mass of the electron apparatus although none of the special power supplies,
· Current balance kits
· Rheostats,
· ticker timers,
· plus odds and ends such as connecting wires, lenses, mirrors, slotted weights, etc
See the updated list with quantities at www.vicphysics.org/equipment.html
To request an item or two, please contact the Committee at with subject 'Second Hand Equipment'. Requests will be processed in order of receipt.
Requested items and anything left over can be picked up at the Physics Teachers' Conference at the end of the day in the car park of John Monash Science School.
Note: The conference now has an extra workshop on 'How to use your CRO' in Session E for those who request one of the CROs or indeed, any participant.
Equipment Grant Scheme: For the last two years the AIP Education Committee has run a Grant Scheme, but it is unable to continue this program at this stage.
4. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public *
a) Cosmic Furnaces and the Origin of the Elements, 8pm, Weds, 11th February, Clayton Campus, Monash University
Venue: Lecture Theatre S3 (building 25, map reference D2)
Speaker: Professor Christian Iliadis from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, USA.
Abstract: Humans consist mainly of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and calcium. But where exactly were these elements created? And where did all the other elements come from? The story of element synthesis involves the work of 12 Nobel laureates and will take us from astronomical objects (stars) to unimaginably small particles (atomic nuclei), from nuclear fusion to neutrinos to the weird world of quantum mechanics. During the presentation I will hand out a prize to the person in the audience who can tell me what physics effect is crucial for all three phenomena shown on the website below.
http://moca.monash.edu/outreach/iliadis.html
b) Planet Formation through Radio Eyes, 6:30pm, 13th February, Swinburne University
The first lecture for 2015 will be held on 13 February and given by David J. Wilner, Associate Director, Radio & Geoastronomy Division, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Abstract: Where did the Earth come from, and how can we know? How can particles in space no larger than those in smoke come together to make a planet thousands of kilometers wide? Amazingly, radio telescope observations of material surrounding infant stars are starting to show us signs of planet formation in action. This talk will introduce some of the basic ideas and open questions of planet formation, starting with naked eye observations and proceeding to the latest images from giant radio telescopes, including the new international Atacama Large Millimeter Array of 66 antennas sited at 5000 meters altitude in northern Chile.
Venue: Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus, AMDC building, AMDC301 (Enter via Burwood Road entrance to access lifts)
Map: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/contacts-campuses/campuses/hawthorn/documents/hawthorn.pdf
Please click on this link to registerhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nwIrCqt-bUJEAnvHxpQzL_69lGdtoyHTt7yLc4YcbaQ/viewform
All lectures that have been recorded since 2009 can be accessed by clicking on this link and scroll down to the years near the bottom of the page. http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/outreach/?topic=freelectures
c) Physics Lectures for VCE Students, 6pm 19th February, University of Melbourne
The now well-established series of “Physics Lectures for VCE Students” are again offered in 2015.
These lectures, are held fortnightly in the Laby Theatre, School of Physics, Melbourne University at 6 pm.
The topics are selected to cover aspects of the VCE Physics Study Design, and are given by outstanding researchers in the relevant area of Physics.
The first of 3 lectures in term 1, is at 6 pm on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Topic: Why Physics! what's it all about? An intro to the VCE study design
Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Roger Rassool will show students how their study of Physics at VCE level will give them a coherent view of the physical world around them.
d) Physics Days at Luna Park - Update on Bookings
There will be four days this year: Tuesday 3rd March, Wednesday 4th March, Thursday, 5th March and Friday, 6th March. Tuesday and Wednesday are full. If you have booked a date with the expectation that you may change the date once your timetable was known, could you please advise Luna Park within the week if you wish to change dates.
The cost will be $24.95 per student with teachers free. It is expected that dataloggers will also again be available, but the booking of a datalogger is to the Education Committee at with subject 'Datalogger booking', specifying brand (Pasco or Vernier), day and time (AM or PM).
There will be no aerobatic display this year and the day will run from 10:00am until 2:00pm
To make a booking go to the Luna Park website http://lunapark.com.au/schools/vce-physics-days/ and scroll done to find the booking form.
To enhance the day for the students, teachers can book an hour excursion of the Australian Synchrotron either before coming Luna Park or after by emailing Leanne Wallace of the Australian Synchrotron at . Please note that these excursions are only available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and that there are footwear restrictions.
5. Forthcoming events for Teachers *
a) 2015 Physics Teachers' Conference - 20th February, Monash University
The conference will be on Friday, 20th February at Monash University. The program and registration form are available at http://www.sciencevictoria.com.au/confVCE.html and http://www.vicphysics.org/conf2015.html . Online registrations are available at the Science Victoria website.
The features of the program include:
· Day and late afternoon sessions. Participants can attend the whole day or just the late afternoon sessions,
· Opening address on 'Thermodynamics and Climate Change' by Prof David Jamieson, University of Melbourne.
· New Physics Study Design: Briefing by Maria James, Science Manager, VCAA. Maria is also offering a workshop on 'The use of scientific posters in communicating science' three times during the conference.
· Report by Bruce Walsh, the Chief Assessor, on the 2014 November Exam (repeated),
· Physics Karaoke: Short presentations in three adjacent rooms for easy movement. A list of presenters and their topics will be in later newsletters, on the vicphysics website and distributed at the conference.
· Over 70 workshops across five sessions, some on VCE topics, some on general across Years 7 - 12 and others specifically for Years 7 - 10.
· A Saturday program of excursions tasters at various venues and a medical physics in-service at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Teachers who are unable to attend the conference can register for any of the events in the Saturday program by separately emailing the AIP at with subject: 'Saturday registration' and personal contact details and chosen event(s).
b) Physics in General Science (PIGS) Conference - Registrations open
Last year alongside the Physics Teachers' Conference, the AIP Education Committee ran a Physics in General Science (PIGS) Conference. This conference was for middle school science teachers who were seeking to increase their confidence in teaching physics related topics or looking for new teaching ideas and resources. The conference is offered again in 2015 and again at the same venue and on the same day as the Physics Teachers' Conference. The PIGS Conference is held after lunch with four sessions of workshops to minimise the cost to participants and the disruption to schools caused by their absence.