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OCR A-level Physics Advanced Notice

So the advanced notice, 'Is there Life on Mars' has come out and teachers at my school are saying to read it, but not really explaining it much. I'd appreciate if someone could explain a bit about how I need to revise with the advanced notice and what I need to revise in extra detail to prepare for the sort of questions that are likely to come up.

Thanks

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Reply 1

MrCPhysics

Hi,These are the potential areas I've gone through with my students...[14] – Retrograde motion is not explicitly mentioned throughout the paperCould potentially ask about what the phenomena is called of mars appearing to move backwards?[18] - Pressure of liquid water using rho*g*hThis could be to compare whether an object would float in water on mars and on Earth, or explain why an object would exert less pressure on mars in comparison to Earth.[23] - Defining telescopic resolution, or calculating the resolution of a telescope. Could also expand into asking about angles of parallax…. [29] - Asking for the time taken for images to be sent back to Earth from Mars, considering that information would be transmitted at the speed of light.[34]- Difference in gravitational field strength between the surface of mars, and the top of Olympus Mons.[42] - Calculating the escape velocity for an object from Mars, or comparing the escape velocity of an object on Earth and Mars.[Mars data] - Comparisons of temperatures of Mars and Earth, % difference in temperatures, emission of radiation from objects and the rate of emission comparison between Earth and Mars (SHC)[69] - Pressure suits – calculating the pressure needed to be provided by the suits to keep the pressure constant from Earth to Mars.[74] - Calculating the comparison of the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth and Mars in comparison using the inverse square pressure law.[83] - The use of mirrors to reflect light back to the surface of Mars. Drawing a ray diagram to show this.[82] - Interaction of electrical charges and the magnetic field that is proposed to be used. Use of Fleming left hand rule to determine to force felt, or the release of Bremstrahlung radiation from electrons slowing down.[95] - The centripetal forces that are acting on the magnetic shield?[96] - What would the orbital velocity have to be to keep the magnetic shield in the same place above Mars?Hope this helps