Welcome


The title says it all: this blog features physics videos found everywhere on the web: animations, demonstrations, lectures, documentaries.
Please go here if you want to suggest other nice physics videos, and here if I mistakingly infringed your copyrights. If you understand French, you'll find a huge selection of physics videos in French in my other blog Vidéos de Physique.

Monday 30 April 2012

Inductor basics

The basics of how inductors work, a demo showing an inductor filtering out high frequency signals, a quick low pass LC filter, and a demo showing the magnetic field created around inductors.

 

Ion Beam Cop: Forensic Science & Analysis

This video describes how forensic science expert Dr Melanie Bailey on how she uses forensic physics principles and forensic analysis on gunshot residue to help catch the bad guys.

 

Saturday 28 April 2012

ScienceCasts: Amateur Scientists Discover Galactic Bubbles

Amateur scientists have made a effervescent discovery: The Milky Way Galaxy is bubbling like a glass of champagne.

 

Thursday 26 April 2012

Induction Motor How it works

This is the basic principle of how induction motors work.

 

Monday 23 April 2012

Brian Greene: Why is our universe fine-tuned for life?

At the heart of modern cosmology is a mystery: Why does our universe appear so exquisitely tuned to create the conditions necessary for life? In this tour de force tour of some of science's biggest new discoveries, Brian Greene shows how the mind-boggling idea of a multiverse may hold the answer to the riddle.

Other TED Talks

Northern Lights Explained - Aurora Borealis

The aurora borealis or northern lights is one of the most spectacular natural displays on the planet. Theories about its origins have been debated for centuries and common misconceptions persist that the aurora is the sun's rays scattered off ice crystals in the high atmosphere. In truth, the light is created more than 100km above Earth's surface as high speed electrons and protons ejected from the sun in a solar flare or coronal mass ejection collide with air molecules in the upper atmosphere. The charged particles from the sun excite air molecules which then de-excite by emitting light. The display is most common around the north and south poles because the Earth's magnetic field deflects the solar wind from the equator to the poles. Here the magnetic field dips towards the Earth's surface, channeling the charged particles into the atmosphere.

 Other Veritasium videos

Sunday 22 April 2012

Buoyancy - Why do some things float?

Scientists seem to be infatuated with objects that float and sink. Even non-scientists find great joy in dropping stuff in water to see if it floats or sinks. Fans of David Letterman are quick to point out one of Dave's favorite segments called, "Will It Float?" Here's the latest float or sink challenge: Why do lemons float in water but limes sink? Think you know the answer? Not so fast...

 


Saturday 21 April 2012

ScienceCasts: Here Comes Solar Maximum

Solar storms and Northern Lights are in the offing as the sun approaches Solar Max, expected in mid-to-late 2013. Recently, Earth's defenses were tested by a volley of strong eruptions. Find out what happened in this week's explosive ScienceCast.

 

Friday 20 April 2012

Science off the Sphere: Fun with Antibubbles

Astronaut and chemist Dr. Don Pettit does physics demos that are out of this world. Currently on board the International Space Station, Dr. Pettit presents fantastic physics that can only be demonstrated in micro-gravity.

Other Science off the Sphere videos

Thursday 19 April 2012

Science off the Sphere: Earth in Infrared

Don takes advantage of the view aboard the International Space Station and takes some amazing infrared photgraphs.

Other Science off the Sphere videos

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Convection connection

Join Dr. Hacen as we explore the transfer of heat in liquids.

 

Strobe light makes water drops fall in slow motion

Using a reciprocating pump and a strobe light, we can make water drops appear to fall down (or up) in slow motion. This illusion is due to the periodic nature of the pump: each droplet forced out of the tube is almost identical to the preceding droplet so our eyes perceive the droplets moving slowly rather than falling quickly. You also can freeze-frame this video and use the ruler to make a crude measurement of the acceleration of gravity.

 

Young's Double Slit Demo

Using a yellow rope and red tape to demonstrate Young's Double Slit equation.

 

Monday 16 April 2012

Air Pressure and Altitude

Join Dr. Al Hacen and explore the correlation between Air Pressure and Altitude.

 

Korean scientists develop Graphene based touch screens

Seoul University are developing Graphene touch screens. This has amazing implications for the future of touch screen technology.

Sunday 15 April 2012

Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

Gas Dynamics Laboratory
The Pennsylvania State University

 

There is no "Fourth" dimension

Just because there are four dimensions doesn't mean there's a "fourth dimension"

Other Minute Physics videos

Saturday 14 April 2012

Chandra: Listening to Light

When we look up on a dark night, we see a sky filled with stars. The light from a star, like the light from a flashlight or a lightning bug, is one form of electromagnetic radiation.

(Chandra :  x-ray observatory)

 

The Pendulum and Galileo

Galileo's investigation of the pendulum played a role in the evolution of science. He performed some of the first experiments while discovering the relationship among length, mass and displacement. If you are teaching the scientific method, the pendulum is a good project to start with. Galileo probably gained insight into many issues around motion from his investigation of the pendulum. The video also mentions issues with the church and academia.

 

Friday 13 April 2012

How to Weigh the Earth

This video demonstrates how to determine the mass of the earth using some very simple equipment and a powerful mathematical expression. A century wide collaboration between Newton and Cavendish makes this possible. The video includes a discussion of Newton's universal law of gravitation and Cavendish's famous experiment that led to the determination of "G" the universal gravitational constant.

 

Thursday 12 April 2012

Earth's Radius (and exoplanets) - Sixty Symbols

The Earth's radius is often quoted when describing the size of exoplanets, such as those recently discovered by the Kepler telescope.

Other Sixty Symbols videos

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Hazel Bain: The Sun - A Star in our Own Backyard

The Sun offers us a unique opportunity to study the inner workings of these giant balls of plasma. Starting at the core, Dr. Bain talks about the processes occurring at the different layers of the Sun: From sunspots observed in the photosphere, which vary characteristically with the solar cycle, to explosive flares and coronal mass ejections, which release huge amounts of energy into the corona. Finally she talks about the effect these eruptive events have on the Earth's atmosphere, and how the particles accelerated at the Sun produce the displays of lights known as the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis.

Other Science@Cal lectures



A ping pong ball collides with a water balloon

A water-filled ping pong ball collides with a water balloon at approximately 25 m/s. The inelastic collision dramatically deforms the water balloon. The ping pong ball weighs 0.033 kg and is propelled by a Toro leaf blower; the water balloon is 3.36 kg and is suspended by a single string. The airflow from the leaf blower acts to slow down the rebound of the ball. Shot in 600 fps. Special thanks to Rob for letting us use the camera and setup.

Other Harvard demonstrations

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Surface Distribution of Charge

A tear drop shaped conductor on an insulating stand is charged. Charge is scooped up from various points on the surface of the conductor with a proof plane and transferred to an electroscope. It is demonstrated that the charge density is greater at the areas of greater curvature.

See other MIT physics demos

Why Does The Earth Spin?

The Earth spins on its axis, completing a full revolution every day. By why does it do this? One of the most common misconceptions in physics is the belief that constant motion requires a constant force. So many people believe there must be some force in the Earth (e.g. gravity, centrifugal force) that keeps it spinning. In truth, no force is required because a fundamental property of mass is that it maintains its state of motion in the absence of external forces. This property is called inertia.

 Other Veritasium videos



Saturday 7 April 2012

ScienceCasts: Superfluids

Strange quantum fluids that love to sneak out of cups have been found trapped inside the core of a dead neutron star.

 

Inside ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider - Sixty Symbols

The mighty ATLAS detector is searching for the Higgs Boson - one of a few experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.

Other Sixty Symbols videos

 

How far is a second?

The moon may be 1.3 light-seconds away, but why on earth do we measure distances using time?

Other Minute Physics videos

Thursday 5 April 2012

Exploring the Nature of Matter

An overview of the research conducted at Jefferson Lab.

 

CERN News - Physics restarts in the LHC at new record energy

The LHC has started proton collisions at the unprecedent energy of 4 TeV per beam. This video celebrates the new milestone and explains the physics challenges and ecxpectations for the two larger experiments ATLAS and CMS through the words of the current physics coordinators Richard Hawkings and Greg Landsberg.

 

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Anti-Gravity Water Trick

It's easy to keep water in an upside down container with nothing but a card. However, only those possessing extreme skill can keep the water from falling out when the card is removed. Are YOU skilled enough?? Truly an amazing sight - IF you can get it to work!

Other Frostbite Theater videos



Still having trouble getting water to stay in an upside-down container? Haven't figured out how to remove the card 'just right?' Here are some hints and tips that will help!




Sunday 1 April 2012

Extra Dimensions - Sixty Symbols

We take a look at the mysterious world of extra dimensions.

Other Sixty Symbols videos

Tan Le: A headset that reads your brainwaves

Tan Le's astonishing new computer interface reads its user's brainwaves, making it possible to control virtual objects, and even physical electronics, with mere thoughts (and a little concentration). She demos the headset, and talks about its far-reaching applications.

Other TED Talks