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P3T1 Stud Notes
P3T1 Stud Notes
Student Notes
Unit P3: Applications of physics
Topic 1
We Are Learning To
Radiation in treatment and medicine
Electromagnetic spectrum
Ultra-SOUND
- pre-natal checks
- removing kidney stones
Radiotherapy
A cancerous tumour is exposed to
gamma radiation from lots of different angles.
This gives normal cells a low dose of radiation,
while the tumour receives a high dose.
However, levels have to be carefully monitored
so that healthy cells are not damaged as well.
tumour
In some patients radiation treatment cannot destroy the cancer.
Sometimes it is only used to reduce suffering (palliative care).
Unit P3: Applications of physics
Topic 1
We Are Learning To
Radiation in treatment and medicine
Different cancer tumours are treated with different intensities of gamma radiation and so
doctors place the source at different distances from the tumour. Intensity is also affected
by the medium the radiation is travelling through. The denser the medium, the weaker
the radiation gets.
Intensity
The strength of a radiation is called its
intensity. This is the power of the radiation
per square metre and is measured in W/m2
1.15 Explain, with the aid of ray diagrams, reflection, refraction and total internal
reflection (TIR), including the law of reflection and critical angle
1.18 Investigate the critical angle for perspex/air or glass/air or water/air boundaries
Air
Air
Direction of normal
wave
travel of
the wave glass
Glass
Air
n1 sini1 = n2 sinr2
Critical angle, c
sin c = n2/n1
n1 sin i = n2 sin r
Glass n1
c
n1 sin c = n2 sin 90
n1 sin c = n2 x 1
n1 sin c = n2
sin c = n2 air
n1
n2 1
sin c = 1
n
Critical angle question:
Calculate the critical angle for perspex of refractive
index 1.48 when in air.
sin c = 1
n1
Sin c = 1
c
1.48
Sin c = 0.6757
Critical angle = 42.50
Total internal reflection is
used in fibre optics
Fibre optic communications
The transmission of information
by the passage of light through
flexible, glass fibres.
transmitter
>200km receiver
Endoscopes are used to
look inside the body.
>200km receiver
Unit P3: Applications of physics
Topic 1
We Are Learning To
Radiation in treatment and medicine
object F
image
1. Image description:
Inverted
Diminished
Real
Object
2F F F 2F
Image
Convex lens
Object past 2F
2. Image description:
Inverted
Same size
Real
Object
2F F F 2F
Image
Convex lens
Object at F
3. Image description:
Inverted
Magnified
Real
Object
2F F F 2F
Image
Convex lens
Object between F and 2F
4. Image description:
Upright
Magnified
Image Virtual
Object
2F F F 2F
Convex lens
Object between F and lens
Concave lens (diverging lens)
object
F
image
Image description:
Upright
Diminished
Virtual
Object
image
2F F F 2F
Concave lens
Lenses of different powers
Weak More
lenses powerful
lenses
The power of lenses
1 - 1 = 12F F F 2F
2 3 v
Image
3 - 2 = 1
6 6 v
1 = 1
v =6
6 v
Since v is positive, the image is real
u = object distance along
1 = 1 + 1 the principal axis from the
f u v centre of the lens
v = image distance of the
along the principal axis from
1 = 1 + 1 Image the centre of the lens
f = focal length
2 1 v
1 - 1 = 1
2 1 v Object
1 - 2 = 1
2F F F 2F
2 2 v
- 1 = 1
2 v
v = -2
Since v is negative, the image is virtual
1 = 1 + 1
f u v
-1 = 1 + 1 u = object distance along
the principal axis from the
2 4 v centre of the lens
v = image distance of the
-1 - 1 = 1 Object
along the principal axis from
the centre of the lens
2 4 v image
f = focal length
-2 - 1 = 1 2F F F 2F
4 4 v
-3 = 1
4 v
-3 = 1
v = -4/3 (or – 1.3)
4 v
Since v is negative, the image is virtual
The lens equation: 1 = 1 + 1
f u v
Question 1
An object is 10cm from a lens with a focal length of +5cm. Where
will the image be?
Question 2
An object is 5cm away from a converging lens with a focal length
of +10cm. Where will the image be?
Question 3
A pupil sits 100cm from a converging lens with a focal length of
5cm. Where will her image be formed?
Question 4
A magnifying glass with a focal length of 5cm is used to examine a
postage stamp 3cm away.
(1) Where will the image be formed?
(2) What indicates the image is virtual?
Unit P3: Applications of physics
Topic 1
We Are Learning To
Radiation in treatment and medicine
1.12 Recall that the average adult human eye has a near point at
about 25 cm and a far point at infinity
How do our eyes work?
Iris – makes pupil Retina – where
larger or smaller image is formed
Cornea –
window into
eye Optic nerve
– sends signal
Pupil to brain
– gap
that lets
light
enter
eye
Lens
– focuses light
Ring of ciliary muscle – changes shape of lens
Forming a sharp image – distant object
To form a sharp image,
light rays must converge
and focus on the retina.
1.13 Explain the symptoms and causes of short sight and long sight
(students will not be expected to draw scaled ray diagrams, but may be expected to
interpret them)
1.14 Compare and contrast treatments for short sight and long sight, including the use
of:
a simple lenses
b contact lenses
c laser correction
(combined lens equation is not required; students will not be expected to draw scaled ray
diagrams, but may be expected to interpret them)
Short- and long-sightedness
• Short-sighted people can focus near
objects but not distant ones.
near object
near object
distant object
distant object
diverging lens converging lens
corrected view of
corrected view
distant object of near object
Correcting sight problems practical
Short-sightedness – distant Long-sightedness – rays from
rays focus in front of retina a near object focus behind retina
distant object near object
eye lens retina
diverging lens converging lens
Contact lenses
• These are an alternative to
glasses. They are placed in
front of the cornea.
• Some are softer than others,
but all allow oxygen to
permeate to the eye.
• It is important to clean them properly to
prevent infection – although some are now
disposable.
Laser correction of sight
• This uses a finely controlled laser to vapourise a
portion of the middle part of the cornea and
reshape it.
• A permanent change is made to
the point at which light rays
meet inside the eye.
• Cost: £400 - £1500 per eye.
• Advantages: ‘Instant’ permanent
change to eyesight problems
(no more glasses).
• Disadvantages: Changes cannot
be reversed. Technically complex
procedure – so it can go wrong.
Unit P3: Applications of physics
Topic 1
We Are Learning To
Radiation in treatment and medicine
. Pre-Natal Scanning
X-rays can be used to see inside the body - (unsafe for a baby)
Ultrasound can create images and is safer.
Passes through new substance (skin, muscle, bone) > waves are
reflected as echoes.
The reflected waves (echoes) are detected by a computer.
These build up a picture from each echo.
Ultrasound waves are partially reflected when they meet a boundary
between two different media. The time taken for the reflections to reach
a detector is a measure of how far away such a boundary is.
atrium
heart valves
ventricle
Advantages & disadvantages of
ultrasound, X-rays & CT scans
Ultra-SOUND
Less likely to harm
the patient but give a
less clear picture