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Materials and their use in structures

PD Events, Resources, Classroom Activities, Assessment Ideas, IT Applications

Innovative Physics: Connecting Physics to Industry

This is material from the CDROM produced by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) in partnership the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD). The material includes: Practical activities, Investigations, Materials testing, Careers information and profiles and an extensive annotated list of web-links.

To access the page click here.

The authors were Kathryn Butler and Roy Preece. The support of the following is acknowledged: Chamini Mendis, researcher at the CRC for Cast Metal Manufacturing at Monash University; Josh Pell, a carbon fibre designer and technologist; Dr Bronwyn Fox, the team leader at the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing; Ian Crouch, business development manager at the CRC for Advanced Composite Structures Ltd

PD Events

 Type

Filename

Filesize

Adobe PDF

Flyer

337 kB

Flyer for workshop for students at the University of Ballarat from late March until early June each year.

Adobe PDF

Booking Form

297 kB

This is an annual event that is run on several days from late March through to early June each year.

Text Resources

  • Gordon, JG 1978, Structures or Why Things Don't Fall Down, Penguin, New York
  • Gordon, JG 1992, The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don't Fall Through The Floor, Penguin, New York.
  • Morgan, W 1981, The Elements of Structure, Pitman Books, London.
  • Raitt, G 1987, Forces: Building a Cantilever Bridge - Physics in Action (School Physics in Engineering Project), Cambridge University Press, UK.

Audiovisual Resources

It is recommended that teachers should view any video before purchase.

  • Marcom Projects: Work = Force x Distance

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Classroom Activities

 Type

Filename

Filesize

Text

Copper Wire Prac

22.6 kB

This is an experiment on the stretching of copper wire. The old sound boards and weights from Mersenne's Law experiment can be used to hold and stretch the copper wire.

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Assessment Ideas

 Type

Filename

Filesize

Text

An assessment task

57.4 kB

An assessment task from the previous course.

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IT Applications

Useful Websites

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