One of the concepts in GCSE Physics that I loved in school, and still do, involved the changes of energy that objects undergo when they're in motion. The idea, for example, that when an object falls towards earth, it loses gravitational potential energy and, assuming that air resistance is smaller, it gains kinetic energy, is elegant and simple. One of my favourite things to teach students is the problem of explaining forces acting on and changes of energy of a parachutist approaching and reaching free-fall.
Once the rules of motion are understood, you begin to see them acting everywhere in everyday life, for example a cyclist accelerating if they do more work on their bike, or a football's trajectory being a parabola.
Laurie Wilkinson rated this article 5 stars
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