TED-Ed
A Guide to the Energy of the Earth
What is energy, anyway? Use this featurette as an introduction to your middle school energy unit. It successfully touches each of Earth's physical systems, the sun as our main source of energy, and the flow of energy through the food...
TED-Ed
How Does Work...Work?
What makes a clock tick or a bulb light up? The concept of work is explained to a backdrop of clever animation. Physics fans learn that the amount of work equals the product of the force and distance, and that the rate equals the amount...
Curated OER
Baby Energy
Baby energy is not what it sounds like, it's better. Using a baby playing at the park as his model, this young man describes, provides solid examples, and works through a series of equations that show energy. Potential and kinetic...
MinutePhysics
Common Physics Misconceptions
Some commonly accepted concepts are not completely valid. In this video, the following ideas are thoroughly explained away:
Light cannot be effected by gravity
Velocity is additive
The earth appears to be flat
Not only is this an...
Khan Academy
Cosmic Background Radiation, Scale of the Universe, Cosmology and Astronomy
An informative video explains the density of particles immediately after the Big Bang, as well as the concept that whenever a particle was released, it would merge with another particle. Sal develops the concept of being able to receive...
Curated OER
Energy and the Four States of Matter Solid Liquid Gas and Plasma
There are four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. As this clip describes, the key to changing the states of matter is the addition or subtraction of energy. Learn about molecules, heat, plasma, and the science behind...
Curated OER
Energy from Coal
Beginning with unrelated scenes of strip-mined land, power plants, and deserted towns, this video stimulates viewers to rethink the types of energy we use. This impactful presentation has no narration, only clips from the mining process....
Curated OER
Work and Energy (Part 2)
After reviewing the equation and terms from the previous video, Sal, the narrator, works through an example of an item that is fighting with the force of gravity. He introduces potential energy and begins to explain conservation of...
Curated OER
Work and Energy (Part 1)
Start working with work and energy with your higher-level physics class. The narrator, Sal, starts off with defintions of the two terms, showing how they are related to one another. He then goes into an example and derives a formula for...
Curated OER
Valence Electrons and Forming Ions
Cute manga style animated Aya is your host for this short but good explanation of valence electrons and forming ions. She explains how to know whether to add or subtract electrons when ions are forming. Note: The voice work is a little...
Curated OER
Electrical Circuits: Voltage
Voltage in relation to electrical circuits is the topic of this clip. First potential energy is explained in terms of gravity, then the idea is conveyed to describe how the chemicals in a battery act as potential energy for an electrical...
Curated OER
Electrical Circuits: Current
Help your class understand current in relation to electrical circuits. A flow of water is used to describe electrical current. This is the first clip in a two-part series on electrical circuits. This explanation is a bit rapid and would...
Curated OER
Beyond Einstein: Part I
Part one of this short two-part series begins with a review of Einstein's theories and what they mean to the world as we know it. This clip delves into the "Beyond Einstein" program which NASA created to further Einstein's theories. This...