Elements of Physics: Energy: Work and Power

This program explores the many different forms of energy from sound, heat, light, and chemical energy. One of the greatest forms of energy is nuclear energy locked within the nucleus of atoms. Energy can be converted from one form to another and much of the success of our industrialized society has been in our ability to harness energy for our needs. Although classical physicists saw energy and matter as separate and distinct, modern physics has shown that the two are fundamentally linked.

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Elements of Physics: Light: Optics and Electricity

Light is one of the most fundamental forces in the universe and proved to be one of the most difficult riddles to unravel. The program begins by describing the field of optics and how scientists came to understand such principles as refraction, reflection, and the behavior of light as it passes through lenses. James Clerk Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism is reviewed along with the importance of the speed of light. The program concludes by showing how these theoretical insights have led to developments in electricity and telecommunications that have transformed our lives.

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Elements of Physics: Modern Physics and Cosmology

This is a program on the way that modern physics has revolutionized the way we understand our universe. Physicists found that the sub-atomic world does not follow the laws of classical physics and developed quantum theory to give a more exact explanation. Einstein developed his special theory of relativity to explain what happens when objects travel close to the speed of light and later developed the general theory of relativity, which provided a new explanation of gravity. These theories have shed light on the existence of black holes and the origins of the universe.

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Elements of Physics: Motion, Force, and Gravity

When Isaac Newton formulated his three laws of motion, he transformed physics because these laws allowed precise predictions of the movement of objects at all times and in all circumstances. From this, Newton deduced the law of gravity, which explained the movement of planets and stars. This program describes these theories and goes on to outline the four fundamental forces of the universe and how Einstein revolutionized the way we understand gravity with his general theory of relativity.

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Elements of Physics: Waves: Sound and Electromagnetism

Energy, whether it is sound, light, heat, or some other form, is propagated as waves. This program looks at two different types of waves, longitudinal and traverse waves, and the common characteristics of all waves. Sound and light waves are examined in some detail, and then the program concludes with a look at a modern theory called the wave-particle duality, which holds that all matter and energy have characteristics of both waves and particles.

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Physics: A World In Motion: Collinear Momentum

The biathlon provides the context for investigating the law of conservation of momentum in the laboratory and on location. Students identify different types of collisions in which momentum is conserved: explosion, hit and stick, and hit and rebound. They develop an appropriate quantitative problem-solving strategy for each.