A4_9 Water-Propelled Jetpacks

Theoretically it would be possible to create a jetpack that used water as a primary propulsion method. This paper looks at the physics behind such a proposition, by deriving a relationship between the mass of the water required m and the time spent airborne t. The masses of water involved are analysed for practicability, and it is found that 99.0 kg of water is required per second of flight, which is concluded to be an unfeasibly large amount

A4_10 Electron beams cracking hydrocarbons

This article looks at using a scanning electron microscope, or SEM, to break apart (or ‘crack’) hydrocarbonchains for the purposes of creating carbon structures which are tens of micrometres in diameter. It wasfound that the energetics of the electron beam along were not sufficient to characterise this crackingprocess

A4_16 Set Phasers to stun

This article considers the possibility of creating a ’stun ray’ style weapon similar in concept to the phaserused in Star Trek when on a setting to stun its target. It is found that in order to create such an energybased stun weapon which was effective over a similar range to that of the phaser which did not simplykill the target should be technologically possible

A4_8 Don't Aim at Him!

 This paper investigates the horizontal deviation due to gravity that would be experienced by a bullet fired from a rifle. The paper looks at the recent setting of a new sharpshooting distance record as a case study for the investigation. While the deviation quoted by the soldier involved significantly differed from that calculated we show that a significant deviation is measured

A4_2 A Bright Night

The gas giant planet Jupiter is often referred to asa ‘failed star’. This paper investigates whether a change in brightness levels would be experienced by the Earth if Jupiter was in fact undergoing fusion and radiating. It is found that the luminosity generated by nuclear fusion within Jupiter would be a very small percentage of that produced by the Sun, even in the case where the mass of Jupiter is increased

A4_18 Your Guests Are Thirsty

In RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 it is possible to build stalls and set the prices for drinks and other consumables. This paper runs a simulation in one scenario to set multiple prices for drinks and then examine what the effect that this has on profits is over a four month period. It is found that the optimum price for drinks lies between £2.10 and £2.40

A4_6 The Penny Drops

A British 1p coin is dropped from a great height. Its terminal velocity is calculated, alongside the force (and subsequently pressure) it would exert upon a surface on landing. The value is compared to the tensile strength of normal human skin in order to examine the effects it might have if it landed on a person, and is found not to be high enough to break the skin