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Listed under:  Science  >  Forces and energy  >  Fundamental forces  >  Electromagnetism  >  Electricity
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Quantum: Tidal power

Journey to Bathurst Island where strong tidal currents can be found in the Apsley Strait. Observe how the Nguiu community is investigating the use of tidal power to provide their electricity needs instead of using non-renewable and expensive fossil fuels.

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The physics of invisibility cloaks

Could an invisibility cloak actually work? Prashanth and Maria from MIT explore this idea and demonstrate the cool ways that light bounces, bends and mixes. How do the wings of the Morpho Butterfly give clues about how an invisibility cloak could work? How would light need to be channelled in order for something to seem invisible?

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How does the retina work?

When electrons in your retina absorb photons of light they don't emit light, they cause a molecule to change shape - and that lets you see colour!

Interactive

Series circuits

In this resource, students will use a simulation to build a series circuit with batteries, light bulbs, resistors, and switches. From their experimentation, students will understand how different components affect the circuit, and explore the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

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About solar thermal energy

This resource is a web page containing information about using the Sun's heat to generate electricity. It gives a brief description, with an annotated diagram, of focusing the Sun's rays with mirrors to heat a liquid to create steam, which can be used to drive a turbine to generate electricity. It also provides information ...

Video

Clean Energy fact sheets

This resource is a web page that contains links to fact sheets about clean energy and different forms of clean, renewable energy: wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, solar water heating, hydroelectricity, biomass, geothermal and marine energy. The resource also contains a link to a 14.5-minute video of a lecture presentation ...

Interactive

Magnetism and Electric Current

Students use this resource consisting of nine slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that wires carrying an electric current produce a magnetic field and that a current in a coil produces a magnetic field pattern similar to a bar magnet. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Solar Prints

This 6 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent introduction to the science behind photovoltaics. A useful comparison of the efficiency of energy conversion. Discussion of other issues considered in producing devices to use renewable energy to make electricity.

Interactive

Series and Parallel Circuits

Students use this resource consisting of three slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to the arrangement of bulbs in series and parallel circuits and understand the differences between them. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Catalyst: Electromagnetic radiation

Do you know how radios transmit sound, or how ultraviolet light travels through the air? Listen to Bernie Hobbs explain electromagnetic radiation and discover what radios, ultraviolet light, x-rays and nuclear blasts have in common. Find out about their energy levels, how they travel from place to place, and at what speed, ...

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Can We Help?: 3D is back!

Andrew Woods from Curtin University answers the question 'How are 3D movies made?' Discover how how 3D glasses work. You might be surprised to find out how long ago people started making 3D movies.

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Meet the BFFs: Four fundamental forces

We all know something about gravity, but what about the other fundamental forces of physics? Explore the properties of two familiar forces experienced in daily life, and of two less familiar ones. How do they interact, and what keeps everything from falling apart? This video was Kate Dent's entry into the 2013 Sleek Geeks ...

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Colourful Weather, Ep 1: What shape is a rainbow?

All you need is water, the sky and sunlight and you’ve got something that’s colourful – with a pot of gold at each end. What is it? A rainbow! Find out what happens to sunlight inside a raindrop, why rainbow colours are always in the same order and the real shape of a rainbow. Tip: it’s not an arch!

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How do prisms create rainbows?

Zoom inside a glass prism and see why glass makes light bend, and how the glass molecules make different colours of light bend different amounts.

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Sciencey: Five things you should know about renewable energy

Check out how we make electricity, the different renewable energy sources we have developed and how batteries work. Then, find out about hydro-electricity and why Australia could one day be the world’s biggest exporter of renewable energy. Lastly, discover virtual power plants. Why is it important to focus on renewable ...

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Catalyst: Underground coal gasification

How are scientists using technology to get energy out of coal without having to dig it up? Find out how underground coal gasification (UCG) burns and converts the coal to gas underground. Visit UCG trial sites in Queensland and hear how UCG avoids some of the environmental effects of traditional coal mining, but may have ...

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Can photons and atoms generate laser?

Electrons around atoms can absorb and emit photons of particular colours of light – see three different atomic models explain what's going on.

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Colourful Weather, Ep 3: Why sunsets and sunrises will never be blue or green

Can you guess how many sunsets and sunrises an astronaut on the International Space Station sees every 24 hours? Sixteen! Imagine seeing all those spectacular colours so many times a day (even if the view lasts only a few seconds as they zoom by). Find out exactly why sunrises and sunsets are red, orange and golden but ...

Interactive

Oresome world

This interactive resource takes students on a journey of discovery in the energy and mining world. Oresome world contains five games or modules: Coal, Energy, Gas, Low emissions and Mining, and within each of these there are several facilities to explore, such as the Underground mining site, Hydroelectric power station, ...

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BTN: The biggest radio telescope in the world

In the past, astronomers explored the universe with their eyes and optical telescopes, but what they could see was limited. Find out how radio telescopes have revolutionised the way astronomers 'see' the universe, allowing us to explore deeper into space than ever before.Watch this clip to learn about Australia's contribution ...