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Listed under:  Science  >  Forces and energy  >  Fundamental forces  >  Electromagnetism  >  Electricity
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Climate change – creating critical thinkers … not sceptics!

Climate change was once just part of the science domain, but today it is a political juggernaut! This unit explores the science of climate change as a scientific concept and a political issue. The unit includes PDF resources and video quiz challenges for teachers and student and the library section provides extra resources ...

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Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

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Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Video

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.

Video

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?

Video

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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About geothermal energy

This resource is a web page that includes information about generating electricity using the heat from beneath the Earth's surface. It gives a brief description, with an annotated diagram, of pumping water deep underground to extract heat from hot fractured rocks, and using the steam generated to drive a turbine. It also ...

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Activity: homework task - energy then and now

This is a web resource about changes in energy use over time that provides a student homework activity and a detailed teacher guide including questions for student discussion. The resource requires students to compare the electrical appliances currently used in their home with those used in the past. The activity encourages ...

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Sites2See: Light and Matter

Links to resources to explore fundamental questions about light and matter and the application of the physics of light and matter to the past, the future and to space. Includes a quick quiz, links to additional DEC NSW physics resources and to the International Science School at the University of Sydney.

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About bioenergy

This resource is a web page that includes information on clean energy sources including generating electricity using waste organic matter (biomass). Using sugar-cane offcuts as an example, the resource gives a brief description of one way in which organic waste can be used to generate electricity. It defines the terms bioenergy, ...

Online

Activity: design a school energy saving plan

This is a web resource providing guidelines for designing an energy reduction plan for a school. It describes a student activity that involves collecting and reviewing data, identifying energy reduction solutions and sorting these into categories, describing the role of students, teachers and other staff in reducing energy ...

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About hydroelectricity

This resource is a web page contains information about generating electricity using the energy of flowing water. It gives a brief description, with an annotated diagram, of the way in which the potential energy of water in a dam can be used to drive a turbine to generate electricity. It also provides information about hydroelectric ...

Online

Activity: energy then and now

This is a web resource about changes in energy use over time that provides a student activity and a detailed teacher guide. The activity requires the student to record the types and numbers of electrical appliances used at home, interview an older person about appliances they used when growing up and any alternatives used, ...

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About wind energy

This resource is a web page containing information about using wind energy to generate electricity. It gives a brief description, with an annotated diagram, of how a wind turbine is used to generate electricity, and provides information about wind energy production and use in Australia. There is a link to a printable PDF ...

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Fuses and Circuit Breakers

Students use this resource consisting of five slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how a fuse protects a circuit and learn some uses of resettable circuit breakers. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Electric Current

Students use this resource consisting of four slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that current is the flow of electricity around a circuit and that the greater the resistance of the circuit, the less current flows. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Video

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.

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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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Ecospace

A resource for Stage 3 students called Ecospace which takes students on a journey through the design process, requiring them to explore a real space in their immediate learning environment and to show a real school audience how improvements could be made.

Video

Light takes time to travel through space

Light travels in waves and carries information as it moves from one object to another. In this clip, people are used to represent the Sun, planets and light rays in order to show that light takes time to travel through space bringing information from those objects to us on Earth. Discover that by the time we receive this ...