The context of the physics contained in this unit is the electric train.  Trains have been around for more than two hundred years for the transport of minerals, while the public service railway has been in existence since 1825.  Over many years, learning the lessons from some appalling accidents, those responsible for the operation of trains have to follow very strict rules.  There are also many systems that ensure that trains are kept well apart.  The engineering that goes into the modern train and its track is second to none.  All this adds up to the train being the most safe method of travel.

The Channel Tunnel has been one of the most heroic engineering projects of the twentieth century.  Trains travel through its twin bores at speeds of up to 200 km/h, while either side, dedicated high speed lines now connect its portals with London and Paris, Lille, and Brussels.  The Eurostar Class 373 electric multiple units  travel at 300 km/h on the high speed lines, enabling passengers to travel from London to Paris in less than two hours, considerably less than the time taken to get out to the airport, check in, wait, get on the aeroplane, get off the aeroplane because it's broken down...

The unit covers:

• Revision of simple electric circuits and electrical quantities;
• The Motor effect and how it's applied;
• The generator effect and its applications;
• The capacitor and its use in timing circuits;
• Revision of mechanics and study of momentum.