University of Leicester Open Journals
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P1_3 You chipped the paint
Get PDFWe often hear about space debris threat to satellites. Although most of the energy in an impactis used vaporising the object they can still carry large energies approximate to a stick of TNT for small objects of mass order 1g
P5_8 Is Human Hair the Future?
Get PDFThe contents of this paper involve the study of human hair and its potential useful application in modern life with a focus on its thermal and tensile properties . It was found that the power generated by daily natural hair loss was 5.14 × 7 kW/h and that the force a single strand of hair could carry without snapping in ideal conditions was 5.47 × 10−3 N
A6_5 A Bright Halo
Get PDFIn the video game series Halo, there are planet sized ring megastructures known as Halos. Inthese structures, the inside of the ring looks like earths terrain. Approximately, half of the Halo isilluminated by its local star and the other side is not. The Halo then rotates to simulate night andday. In this paper, to determine the relative brightness as midnight, we obtain an approximatevalue for the power per unit area received from the reflectively of the lit up parts of the Halo atmidnight. This value is 0.21W/m2. This is 0.016% of the power received on earth at normal incidence from the sun
A2_5 Go Long, Earthlings!
Get PDFThis article investigates whether an American football shaped planet such as KOI 1843.03 could exist in our Solar System and whether or not it could be potentially habitable. It was found that the smallest orbital radius at which such an Earth-mass planet could occur is a = 8.26x10^8 m, if it is made of pure iron, but that the effective surface temperature (assuming an Earth-like albedo value of α = 0.3) would be T_e = 3428 K (or 3155^o C) which far exceeds the habitable limit
P1_4 Five Centimeters per Second?
Get PDFIn Makoto Shinkai’s romantic drama ’5 Centimeters per Second’, it is said that ’The speed cherry blossoms fall [is] 5 centimeters per second’. In this paper, we attempt to find the speed that cherry blossoms fall at through use of the Rayleigh Drag Equation and the Archimedes Principle
A4_5 That's No Moon...
Get PDFIn this paper we aim to investigate the visibility of the fictional space station, The Death Star, through the transit observation method of exoplanet detection. It was concluded that through ground based observation the Death Star could be observed orbiting small planetary bodies within our Solar System. Through more robust space-based observations the space station could be detected outside our Solar System about nearby white dwarf stars
A2_3 A Nice Flight... TO HELL!!!
Get PDFIn this paper we look into the effects of drag on paper aeroplanes, specifically how much it heats it up. This could potentially be an issue if you make an aircraft out of a flammable material such as paper. By using a purely theoretical approach, we found that to set a paper aeroplane on fire just from the effect of drag it would have to be thrown at a velocity of 5725 ms^-1
Writing multiple-choice questions to access the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy
Get PDFI report the implementation of an activity in which students are asked to write multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on the subject of ‘orbitals’ in order to consolidate their learning on the subject. This was facilitated using the online system PeerWise, which allows students to upload MCQs that they have written and to then answer those authored by their peers. The process of writing questions accesses the upper levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, and the discussions incorporated within the activity allow for socially constructed learning as part of the pedagogy of constructive evaluation
Student belonging: the impact of disability status within and between academic institutions.
Get PDFBelonging at university is a complex and important issue which relates to student attainment but is more challenging for non-traditional students, including those with disability. This study, part of a larger project, explored differences in academic self-confidence and engagement, belonging, peer belonging and institutional acceptance in those with and without disability in two academic institutions. Quantitative data, collected using a series of statements in online questionnaires, indicated that academic self-confidence was significantly lower in those with disability, as were aspects of peer belonging. By contrast, academic engagement and institutional acceptance did not differ for most statements by disability status. Possible reasons for this, and the implications of the findings, are discussed
The impact of student timetables and commuting on student satisfaction
Get PDFWidening participation has encouraged students from a diverse range of backgrounds into university with more students commuting (many being Black and Minority Ethnic, BME). Since timetabling forms a major way by which students identify and interact with their learning environment understanding its influence is important. This project aimed to identify the experiences of students with their timetables using questionnaires and focus groups to determine perceptions and relationship to travel to university by ethnicity, gender, age and level of study. Five hundred and fifty students participated across levels 4 to 6 at Kingston University. There was a strong negative correlation between travel time and ‘the timetable works efficiently for me’ (Question 16, National Student Survey). Students from ethnic backgrounds on average were found to travel double the distances of their White counterparts to get to university. In addition, timetable satisfaction was also reflected in the modes of transport used and in perceptions of expected timetabled hours (i.e., whether too many or too few hours scheduled) based on travel times. We identified a number of inclusive priorities to help improve the timetable for student groups including having later starts to days and one guaranteed day free per week. In addition, the COVID-19 world has temporarily reduced the need for most students to commute and can be regarded as a positive disruptor for future commuting students. Certainly, it will be important to find a new balance in applying the identified priorities and the realised alternative COVID-19 teaching practices for creating more inclusive, flexible and blended learning environments to achieve the ultimate student-centred timetable