Physics Contents

Chapter 1. Cosmology

1.1 The Solar System

1.1.1 The Sun

1.1.2 Mercury

1.1.3 Venus

1.1.4 Earth

1.1.5 Our Moon

1.1.6 Mars

1.1.7 Jupiter

1.1.8 Saturn

1.1.9 Uranus

1.1.10 Neptune

1.1.11 Pluto

1.2 The Milky Way

1.3 Local Galactic Group

1.4 The Big Bang

1.5 Stars

1.5.1 The Birth of Stars

1.5.2 Plasma

1.5.3 Nuclear Fusion in Stars

1.5.4 The Life of Stars

1.5.5 Hydrogen Fuelled Stars (Stage I)

1.5.6 Helium Fuelled Stars (Stage II)

1.5.7 Carbon Fuelled Stars (Stage III)

1.5.8 White Dwarf Stars

1.5.9 Supernova

1.5.10 Neutron Stars

1.5.11 Pulsars

1.5.12 Black Holes

Chapter 2. Particle Physics

2.1 The Standard Model of Particle Physics

2.1.1 The discovery of sub-atomic particles

2.1.2 Electron Shells

2.1.3The Photoelectric Effect

2.1.4 Dirac’s Prediction of Antimatter

2.1.5 The discovery of anti-matter

2.1.6 Particle Accelerators

2.1.7 Hadrons

2.1.8 Baryons

2.1.9 Mesons

2.1.10 The Standard Model

2.1.11 Fermions

2.1.12 Quarks

2.1.13 Leptons

2.1.14 Fundamental Forces and Force Carrying Particles

2.1.15 Bosons

2.1.16 Photons (y) – The Electromagnetic Force

2.1.17 Gluons (g) – The Strong Force

2.1.18 Z and W Bosons – The Weak Force

2.1.19 Gravity and the Higgs Boson

Chapter 3. Atoms

3.1 Diagram of an atom

3.2 Electrons

3.3 Discovery of Electrons

3.4 Properties of Electrons

3.5 Protons

3.6 Discovery of Protons

3.7 Properties of Protons

3.8 Neutrons

3.9 Discovery of Neutrons

3.10 Properties of Protons

Chapter 4. Isotopes

4.1 What Are Isotopes?

4.2 How are isotopes formed?

4.3 Stable Isotopes

4.4 Unstable Isotopes (Radioactive Isotopes)

4.4 Alpha Radiation or Alpha Decay

4.5 Beta Radiation or Beta Decay

4.6 Radioactive half-life

Chapter 5. Decay Chains

Chapter 6. Nuclear Reactions

6.1 What are Nuclear Reactions?

6.2 Nuclear Fusion (summary)

6.3 Nuclear Fission (summary)

6.4 Forces That Hold Atoms Together

6.5 How Nuclear Reactions Produce Energy

Chapter 7. Nuclear Fusion

7.1 What is Nuclear Fusion

7.2 Overcoming the Electromagnetic Forces

7.3 Nuclear Fusion in Stars

7.4 Energy Production through Nuclear Fusion

Chapter 8. Nuclear Fission

8.1 Energy Production in Nuclear Fission

8.2 Induced Nuclear Fission

8.3 Nuclear Fission Reactors

8.4 Why use Uranium for Nuclear Fission

8.5 Difficulties with Nuclear Fission as an Energy Source

8.6 Nuclear Fission and the Environment

8.7 Plutonium Fast Breeder Reactors

Chapter 9. Binding Energy

9.1 Nuclear Binding Energy

9.2 Calculating Binding Energy

9.3 Calculating the Assumed Mass

9.4 Binding Energy Per Nucleon

Chapter 10. Radiactive Dating

10.1 What is Radioactive Dating?

10.2 Carbon Dating

10.3 Geological Dating

10.4 Isotopes used in Geological Dating

10.5 Radioactive Dating with Uranium-238