Einstein called Galileo the "father of modern physics." This media-rich essay from the NOVA Web site looks at Galileo's quest to understand the mathematics of motion.
In the early 1600s, most people believed that the Sun revolved around a stationary Earth. This video segment adapted from NOVA tells how Galileo proved that the Sun, not Earth, is at the center of our universe.
This video segment adapted from NOVA shows how Galileo used his telescope to carefully observe and study sunspots.
Scientists don't always get it right. This video segment adapted from NOVA looks at Galileo's failed theory for the motion of the tides.
This video from NASA describes the GLAST satellite, which is equipped with a gamma-ray telescope, and shares some background about the kinds of extreme universal phenomena indicated by the presence of gamma rays.
This video segment from Swift: Eyes through Time introduces and explains theories of the origin of gamma-ray bursts.
In this activity, students study gas laws at a molecular level. They vary the volume of a container at constant temperature to see how pressure changes (Boyle's Law), change the temperature of a container at constant pressure to see how the volume changes with temperature (Charles’s Law), and experiment with heating a gas in a closed container to discover how pressure changes with temperature (Gay Lussac's Law). They also discover the relationship between the number of gas molecules and gas volume (Avogadro's Law). Finally, students use their knowledge of gas laws to model a heated soda can collapsing as it is plunged into ice water.
Gases exist across a wide range of temperature and pressures, and their properties obey some fairly simple laws. This pathway provides resources to help students understand the behaviour of gases, and the relationships that exist between their pressure, volume and temperature.
Properties of gases can be modeled using some relatively simple equations, which we can relate to the behavior of individual gas molecules. We will learn about the ideal gas law, vapor pressure, partial pressure, and the Maxwell Boltzmann distribution.
Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.
With all the frustration you might have endured coping with dead batteries, it might surprise you how easy it is to make one out of household materials. Try out this activity, and it might just charge up your imagination.
Learn how scientists regulate a nuclear reactor in this animation-enhanced essay from the FRONTLINE Web site.
Featuring images of glacier formations, this interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service explains what glaciers are, where they are found, how they form, and how they move.
In this video adapted from the Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations, learn how a glass beaker vibrates at a specific frequency and how resonance can force it to shatter.
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the future of global warming as developing nations, including India and China, increase their need for energy.
Is the hydrogen car the answer to global warming? This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the pros and cons of this developing technology.
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE examines the greenhouse effect, its role in keeping Earth habitable, and the industrial changes that have led to an increase in the planet's average temperature.
Chemical Reactions in Action — explores student misconceptions about atoms, molecules, and chemical reactions and provides practical advice for pedagogical approaches. Explore the research: http://s.si.edu/1IwH5zS
This video segment adapted from NOVA features the youngest rock formations in the Grand Canyon, lava dams, and how they are subject to the eroding power of water.
In this video segment from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about the effects of gravity as astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson falls through a virtual hole through Earth's center.
In this video segment adapted from NOVA, a meteorologist explains how an unusual weather pattern led to one of the most devastating floods of this century.