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Simon Poliakoff

@simonpoliakoff.bsky.social

400 followers 380 following 480 posts

Physics Teacher who loves demonstrations and practicals. Makes YouTube videos and free creative commons lesson resources. Website: www.teachphysics.org YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SimonPoliakoff

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Nov 14

I made this google slides of nearly 100 ideas for teaching magnetism and electromagnetism in the Summer term with help from @hookean.bsky.social If you haven’t seen it then it is worth a look: www.teachphysics.org/home/magneti...

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 5h

In the UK we have these soft iron C cores and pre wound coils which you can put two together to make a transformer. One on its own with a soft iron bar across it makes a very strong electromagnet. The launcher switch wasn’t working so I went back to the ripping aluminium foil to break the circuit.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 6h

#ITeachPhysics spelt correctly this time

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 7h

Using a microammeter and low voltage power supply find the resistance of a person or even loop of people by measuring the potential difference across and current through them. It is a fun alternative to finding resistance of the usual components.
#ITeachPhyiscs
#SciTeachUK

youtu.be/sDb9cUbs3gM

Measuring the resistance of a person

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 8h

@lascells.bsky.social my monkey and hunter launcher was not hitting the switch when released earlier. The screw on the end of the spring bit seemed to not be pushing through. Any suggestions to fix? I have improvised a ripping Al foil method for my lesson tomorrow but hope to fix for next time.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 8h

Test run went this afternoon

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 20h

I was told it was broken- the electromagnet was the problem so I improvised a stronger one and it worked well and I decided the electromagnet would support a bigger monkey which I have bought this year.

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 20h

At my previous school we used a perspex tube with a rubber bung in the end with a foot pump to pressurise and the bung ripped some aluminium foil as it left to break the circuit. But my current school has this one lascells.com/product/monk...

Monkey And Hunter - Lascells Ltd.

An essential part of projectile studies is the ‘Monkey and Hunter’ problem. A monkey sees a hunter take aim. If he lets go when the hunter fires will he drop so that the bullet passes harmlessly overh...

lascells.com

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 1d

I have treated myself to a better monkey ready for Thursday:

soft toy monkey hanging from the electromagnet

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 6d

I have that book on my shelf. It has some good ideas in it.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 14d

After 20 years of teaching I finally built a working flame probe for measuring electric potential and used it with my students earlier in the week. It really is good for bringing alive the electric fields topic. I made this video about it:

#SciTeachUK
#ITeachPhysics

youtu.be/f0YWO2PfBVU

Using the flame probe to its full potential

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 18d

Perfect setup! I don’t know how I could work in a school without lots of old kit as most of it is now too expensive to get bought with modern science budget. Thought our EHT had died last week but luckily it was just an internal fuse…

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 22d

It was hard to get them in the UK and the postage from www.zerotoys.com/Tumble-Buggy... was much more affordable when I ordered eight earlier in the year and they kindly sent me 4 of each colour. Used them on Monday and they were popular #SciTeachUK

Tumble Buggy

The Original Tumble Buggy Car is nearly unstoppable! Our cute 1960’s classic beach dune buggy hits a wall or barrier and then does a back flip, spins, rolls and runs away in another direction. The Ant...

www.zerotoys.com

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 22d

Did this in my A-level lesson today which I think was interesting for the students.

#IteachPhysics
#SciTeachUK

Measuring the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor by discharging it through an oscilloscope
youtu.be/-4JNebKmJEU

Measuring the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor by discharging it through an oscilloscope

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 24d

What set up do you use to measure the decay of radon?

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 28d

Thanks for the suggestion. I will put it on my to do list to play with the acoustic stopwatch.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · 29d

It was good to get A-level students doing some calculations with the shuttling ball demo yesterday:

#SciTeachUK
#ITeachPhysics

youtu.be/usP5YtWQh6c

Calculations with the shuttling ball demonstration

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Sep 13

Set up this old Nuffield demonstration for the first time yesterday afternoon ready for my first A-Level lesson of the electric fields topic on Monday. Simple but effective I think.

#SciTeachUK
#ITeachPhysics

Paper indicator to show the direction of a uniform electric field:
youtu.be/oAVDkdi7nb8

Paper indicator to show the direction of a uniform electric field

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Sep 13

Added another nice rainbow photo to my collection yesterday when the low evening sun combined with a sudden rain shower.

#ITeachPhysics

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Sep 10

I extended GUESS to GUESS SUn adding Significant figures and Units at the end.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Sep 6

Yes they are also great for conservation of momentum in two dimensions.

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Aug 31

I like letting students see it with a polarising filter and asking them to try to explain what they observe.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=3E-R...

Refraction of light by a calcite crystal

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

m.youtube.com

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Aug 10

Madeira is lovely too but does it have a sea pool fed by a natural thermal spring where you can float in bath temperature warm water watching shoals of fish swimming amongst the bubbles rising from vents? And if you force your teenagers to get up v early you can have it to yourself?

Black lava surrounding semi enclosed sea pool with cliffs behind. Single swimmer snorkelling in the middle.

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Aug 10

Praia do Corpo Santo in Vila Franco do Campo on Sao Miguel island

Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Aug 10

I was trying to have a break from thinking about physics teaching in the Azores but this beach got in the way:

youtu.be/lj-ZZTG0ddU

#ITeachPhysics
#SciTeachUK

Giant natural ripple tank demonstrates wave diffraction on a beach

YouTube video by Physics with Simon Poliakoff

youtu.be

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Simon Poliakoff @simonpoliakoff.bsky.social · Aug 7

When my children still had toys I sometimes set myself a challenge of getting a toy into every physics lesson in a day. Had to be legitimately linked to the topic of the lesson. Now my cupboard of physics bits has quite a few old toys like their marble rollercoasters etc in it.