A6 Materials and performance
Section 1: Introduction: Materials matter
Activity AA6.2 Standards for tennis balls
- http://www.itftennis.com/technical/news/newsarticle.asp?id=17261
You can download the document ‘ITF Approved Tennis Balls and Classified Court Surfaces’ from the International Tennis Federation website. - www.tennisserver.com/set/set_02_05.html
Text of an interesting interview with the ITF’s Technical Manager. - www.cookeassociates.com/ks4tennis.html
The CD-ROM The Science of Tennis, produced by Cooke Associates in conjunction with the Lawn Tennis Association and SEP, may be useful. See particularly the section on energy transfer. These were previously listed in the MUTR catalogue. A limited stock remains: request a free copy by sending an email to pcampbell@nuffieldfoundation.org
Activity AA6.3 Testing at Rolls-Royce
- www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/BD1/printall.php
A website with information about testing of beam stiffness, useful for the teacher but beyond GCSE level.
Section 2: Sports equipment
Activity AA6.4 The ideal racket
- www.tackleshop.co.uk
If you cannot get fishing line at a local fishing shops (costs about £2 for 6 m), this website supplies it. - www.tennis-warehouse.com/Features/String101.html
This site has lots of information about racket string technologies.
Section 3: Crash protection
Activity AA6.7 Cycling helmets
- www.whycycle.co.uk/safety-helmets.htm
This site addresses cyclists – are helmets compulsory? Could a helmet save your life? How do they work? - www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/cyclehelmets.htm
This site gives an informed but personal view on many issues related to cycling helmets. - www.grantadesign.com/resources/materials/casestudies/helmet.htm
This site provides a more technical explanation of materials selection for cycle helmets.
Section 4: Structures
Activity AA6.9 How stiff is timber?
- www.mcrma.co.uk/floordeck/pdf/sustainability_leaflet.pdf
This leaflet describes sustainable design and construction using composite floors. - http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/download.htm
If you want to test stiffness in the context of bridge-building, download this free piece of software. It allows students to model, test, and optimise a steel highway bridge.
Section 5: Heating and lighting
Activity AA6.11 Calibrating thermometers
- www.npl.co.uk/
NPL publishes an excellent series of posters, which are free. - www.npl.co.uk/publications/temperature/index.html
This is a beginner’s guide to the measurement of temperature.
www.npl.co.uk/thelearningroom/for_teachers.html
This page has an accompanying activity sheet designed for KS4 students.
Activity AA6.13 Thermal conductance of different fabrics
- www.npl.co.uk/thermal/stuff/guide2.html
The National Physical Laboratory website offers several Introductory Guides explaining thermal properties and their measurement, for teachers. This one explains thermal conductivity. - http://www.grobag.com.au/faq.aspx
You can find many relevant websites by searching with key words such as tog + clothing. This Australian website gives information about the tog values for baby sleeping bags. - www.mpioutdoors.com/extreme-tech-data.htm
This site gives information about a variety of outdoor gear suitable for extreme conditions.
Activity AA6.14 Thermostatic heating control
- www.mutr.co.uk
Middlesex University Teaching Resources stocks the book Smart Wire and its Applications. This is their online catalogue.
Activity AA6.15 Window glass and daylight pipes
- www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/lighting_index.shtml
The BBC website provides a useful guide to domestic lighting: daylight, general, accent, and task lighting. It discusses all common types of lighting fixtures and fittings.
Section 6: Electrical wiring
Activity A6.16 Using ammeters and voltmeters
- http://www.crocodile-clips.com/index.jsp
Crocodile Clips publishes two relevant packages – the electricity elements of Crocodile Physics and Absorb Electronics for GCSE. - http://www.new-wave-concepts.com/ed/livewire.html
Livewire is another package that lets you build circuits, using test instruments to monitor what happens when switches are operated, the values of variable resistors changed, etc. Different voltages are coloured to help students visualize what’s happening and to solve problems. You can download a free demonstration version. - www.astabeab.co.uk
- www.niceic.org.uk/consumers/certificates.html
- www.rospa.com/factsheets/electrical_accidents2007.pdf
These websites provide information about the safety regulation of electrical installations and appliances.
Section 7: Stage and screen
Activity AA6.22 Looking good – stage make-up
- www.charlesfox.co.uk/home.html
Kryolan theatre make-up is available from Charles H. Fox Ltd., 22 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, LONDON WC2E 7PY
Alternatively, use a search engine with the key words: ‘UK supplier’ + ‘stage make-up’.
Section 8: Body repairs
Activity AA6.25 A mouthful of materials
- www.dentistry.bham.ac.uk/cal/impress/mintro.htm
The University of Birmingham has a website devoted to materials used in dental prosthetics. The language is too technical for students but it contains some interesting images. - www.dentalhealth.org.uk/
The British Dental Health Foundation describes itself as an ‘independent charity working to bring about improved standards of oral health care’. - www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/4672.html
Careers information about dental technicians