Best From Conceptual Physics Alive! DVD
The Best From
Conceptual Physics DVD set, includes four hours of the best lectures taken
from videotape series, Conceptual Physics Alive! These lectures, presented
by master teacher Paul Hewitt, cover the key concepts presented in any
physics course. Hewitt's unique conceptual teaching style and demonstrations
bring new motivation, excitement and dimension to the physics classroom.
Below is a list of the different topics and
demonstrations covered in Paul Hewitt's Best from Conceptual Physics
Alive! DVD set.
Disc One
Definition of Speed: The formula speed
= distance/time is explained and examples are given.
Velocity:
Velocity is explained as having both speed and direction.
Average Speed:
Average speed is explained as being (how far
you go)/ (time covered).
Definition of Acceleration:
Explanation of the formula for acceleration,
acceleration = (change in velocity)/ (change in time). Acceleration is shown
in a demonstration using a rolling cylinder.
Numerical Example of Acceleration:
Examples of acceleration using a car going
from 0 to 60 mi/h in 10s.
Changing Velocity:
Three ways to change velocity are discussed.
Free Fall: How Fast?:
As objects fall they pick up speed. This
change in velocity, acceleration is g = 10 m/s².
V=gt: Velocity acquired = (10
m/s²)t.
Air Resistance & Falling Objects:
All objects accelerate at the same rate when
there is no air resistance.
Free Fall: How Far?:
Derivation of the formula d= (1/2) at².
Falling Distance:
Friends discover a mine shaft and determine
its depth using physics.
Vector Representation: How to Add &
Subtract Vectors: Parallel vectors
are added and subtracted.
Geometric Addition of Vectors: How to
add vectors that are at right angles.
Projectile Motion: Using components of
vectors, it is shown that when neglecting friction, the horizontal component
of projectile motion doesn’t change.
Demo: Projectile Motion:
Demonstration of two objects dropped
simultaneously, one straight down, the other thrown horizontally.
Newton’s Law of Inertia:
Demonstrations of the law of inertia using a
coat hanger and two balls of clay.
Demo: The Old Tablecloth Trick:
Classic demonstration illustrates the law of inertia.
Demo: Inertia of Cylinder:
Demonstration showing an object in motion
tends to stay in motion.
Why You Don’t Have to Hold the Toilet Paper
Roll: Examples of inertia—getting
bananas and tearing off toilet paper.
Demo: Weight-Mass Distinction:
Demonstration of inertia. The author lies down with an anvil on his chest,
and then the anvil is hit with a sledgehammer.
Definition of Newton:
1 kilogram weighs 9.8 Newton’s on earth.
Force Causes Acceleration:
Acceleration is caused by unbalanced force.
Newton’s 2nd Law: a =
Flm = g
Free-Fall Acceleration Explained: F/M
= f/m = g
Demo: Friction:
Demonstration showing the force of friction at constant velocity.
Falling & Air Resistance:
Examples of falling parachutist are used to
show that heavier objects fall faster in air.
Pressure: The Bed of Nails:
Demonstration of inertia and pressure. Paul Robinson lies sandwiched between
beds of sharp nails while a cement block that rests on top of him is broken
with a sledgehammer by Paul Hewitt.
Forces and Interaction:
This explanation of action and reaction
forces illustrates that you can’t touch without being touched.
Demo: Action & Reaction on Different
Masses: Demonstration shows that
both people pull equally in a game of tug-of-war.
Action and Reaction on a Rifle & Bullet:
An example showing that while the forces are equal, the masses and
accelerations are not equal.
Definition of Momentum:
Explanation of the formula mv using a
truck and a roller skate.
Changing Momentum – Follow Through:
Ft =
∆mv
Decreasing Momentum Over a Short Time:
Karate is used to demonstrate
∆mv
in a short time produces a large force.
Demo: Bowling Ball & Conservation of
Energy: A pendulum demonstrates how
energy changes from potential (PE) to kinetic (KE) back to potential (PE).
Conservation of Energy: Numerical Example:
A circus example shows that PE + KE
always adds up to the same value at all positions.
Machines: Pulleys:
An example of a piano that is lifted with a
small force.
Rotational Speed:
Demonstration shows the difference between
linear speed and angular speed.
Demo: Centripetal Force:
Demonstration of a pail of water whirled in a
vertical circle over the heads of the class without spilling.
Why a Ball Rolls Down a Hill:
Demonstration shows the relationship between a ball’s center of gravity and
its support.
Simulated Gravity:
Discussion of how space satellites could
produce artificial gravity.
Locating the Center of Gravity:
Demonstration shows that some objects have
centers of gravity inside themselves while other objects have centers of
gravity outside themselves.
Toppling: Examples are used to explain
why some things fall over while others do not.
Demo: Difference Between Torque and Weight:
Demonstration illustrates the difference
between torque and weight. A broom is sawed in half, and a question is posed
about the weights of the two halves.
Demo: Rotational Inertia Using Weighted Pipes:
Demonstration shows the different
rotational inertias of two equal-mass pipes.
Demo: Rotational Inertia Using a Hammer:
Demonstration shows that the ease of tipping
a hammer depends on its orientation.
Demo: Rotational Inertia with a Weighted
Rod: This demonstration extends the
previous demonstration (Side 2, Chapter 6), literally, using a pole and
weight.
Demo: Conservation of Angular Momentum
Using a Rotating Platform: Go for a spin with physics—demonstration of
the conservation of angular momentum.
Inverse-Square Law:
The concept of the inverse-square law is
carried over to light, radioactivity, magnetism, and electricity. A diagram
is used to conceptually show the “inverse-square law” of gravity.
von Jolly’s Method of Measuring the
Attraction Between Two Masses: Explanation of how von Jolly determined
the numerical value of the universal gravitation constant.
Weight & Weightlessness: Many people
believe the astronauts circling the earth are floating because they are
beyond the reach of the earth’s gravity. This explanation shows that this
couldn’t be further from the truth.
Apparent Weightlessness:
A discussion of when it seems like
there is no gravity—when falling objects fall at the same rate.
Discovery of Neptune: Perturbations in
the orbit of Uranus lead to the prediction of Neptune and Pluto.
Gravitational Field Inside a Hollow Planet:
Conceptually shows that there is no gravity
field in the center of a hollowed-out planet.
The Weight of an Object Inside a Hollow
Planet but Not at its Center:
Conceptually shows that there is no gravity field off-center in a
hollowed-out planet.
Circular Orbits: Satellite motion is
explained using an imaginary huge bowling alley in the sky that circles the
world.
The Twin Trip Animation:
The award-winning 1974 animated film that
illustrates the twin paradox.
Space & Time Travel:
You don’t have to be in a spaceship to
experience time travel.
Disc Two
Evidence for Atoms:
An explanation and model of Brownian motion.
Atoms Are Recyclable:
You are made up of atoms that are from every
person who has ever lived.
Surface Area vs. Volume:
Demonstration shows that a spherical volume
has the least surface area and answers the question of why stars and
raindrops are round.
Scaling:
Should you crush up ice to cool your drink
faster? This explanation answers the question and provides more examples of
using surface area to your advantage.
Dam Keeps Water in Place, Water keeps Dame
in Place: Diagrams are used to show how water pressure can keep a dam in
place.
Buoyancy: The
buoyancy of an object is explained using vectors.
Demo: Flotation:
Demonstration shows why wood floats, why clay
sinks, and how to make clay float.
Demo: Archimedes’ Principle:
Demonstration shows the buoyant force acting on a submerged object is
numerically equal to the weight of fluid displaced by that object.
Demo: Air Has Weight:
The air in your refrigerator weighs more than
a grapefruit.
Demo: Air is Matter: Pouring Air from One
Glass to Another: To show that air
is matter, it is poured from one glass into another.
Demo: Air Has Pressure: Several
demonstrations prove that air has pressure.
Buoyancy of Air:
Buoyancy in air as well as in water.
Demo: Low Temperatures with Liquid
Nitrogen: The temperature of liquid nitrogen shrinks the volume of a
balloon and turns a flower into one that is so brittle that it “breaks” when
dropped.
Demo: Thermal Expansion:
A tight-fitting ring that barely fits around
a ball will have plenty of room when heated.
Demo: How a Thermostat Works:
Demonstration showing how a bimetallic strip
works.
The Secret to Walking on Hot Coals:
Because wood is a poor heat conductor,
people are able to walk barefoot on red-hot coals without harm.
Air is a Poor Conductor:
Explanation of the insulation properties of
down-filled sleeping bags, Styrofoam plastic foam, and thermal underwear in
terms of air’s poor heat conductivity.
Boiling is a Cooling Process: Liquids
transforming to gases absorb energy.
Demo: Pressure Cooker and Boiling &
Freezing at the Same Time: When pressure is reduced on a container of
water, it boils until it freezes!
Condensation is a Warming Process:
When water condenses on you, you feel warmer.
Demo: Adiabatic Process:
Two demonstrations show that the expansion of
gases is a cooling process.
Demo: Longitudinal vs. Transverse Waves:
The difference between longitudinal and transverse waves is shown using
a Springy spring toy.
Demo: Interference & Beats:
Beats are demonstrated using two slightly
different frequencies.
Doppler Effect:
Comparing water waves with sound waves, the
author explains why there is a frequency change as a source moves toward and
away from an observer.
Demo: Resonance: Demonstration of a
tuning fork set into motion when another tuning fork is struck.
Resonance & Bridges: Resonance
explains a bridge collapse in Manchester, England, in 1831.
Tacoma Bridge Collapse:
This historic footage shows the vibration and
subsequent collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Light & Transparent Materials:
Explanation of why light slows down in glass
and speed up when it leaves.
Polarized Light & 3-D Viewing:
Explanation of how polarized sunglasses
cancel out the horizontal glare and how 3-D glasses work.
Demo: Colored Shadows:
Using only red, green, and blue lamps, yellow
and cyan are produced.
Demo: Why Water is Greenish Blue: Red
light subtracted from white light produces blue-green light (cyan).
Yellow-Green Peak of Sunlight: A
discussion of the sun’s yellow-green peak in radiation.
Demo: Why the Sky is Blue and Why the Sunset
is Red: Demonstration shows light scattering
in the atmosphere.
Image Formation in a Mirror:
An explanation using a ray diagram shows image
formation and that the distance from the mirror to the image equals the
distance from the mirror to the object.
Demo: Model of Refraction: Wheels on
an axle rolling down an incline plane model the bending of light.
Refraction of Sound:
The difference in speeds from different
temperatures causes a bending of sound win warm air over a cool lake.
Soap Bubble Interference:
An exhibit at the Exploratorium shows a thin,
soapy film producing beautiful colors by interference.
The Rainbow:
Explanation for the shape of a rainbow.
Demo: Van de Graaff Generator:
Demonstration shows what happens to pie pans that are charged as they rest
on the top of a van de Graaff generator.
Demo: Electric Potential:
Current is proportional to voltage
difference.
Caution on Handling Electrical Wires:
Explanation of how electricity
contracts muscles and causes a tightening grip around a “hot” wire.
Birds & High Voltage Wires:
Explanation of why birds don’t get electrocuted when they sit on high
voltage wires.
Ohm’s Law:
Current = (voltage difference)/
(resistance)
Alternating Current:
AC current is explained using a model of an
imaginary washing machine.
Demo: Electric Circuits:
Series and parallel circuits are shown using a
car battery, wire, and light bulbs.
Demo: Oersdted’s Discovery:
Demonstration shows the connection between electricity and magnetism.
Demo: Magnetic Forces on Current-Carrying
Wires: Demonstration shows the forces acting
on current-carrying wires in a magnetic field.
Demo: Faradays’ Law: A movement of
wire in a magnetic field produces current which is proportional to the
number of loops of wire used.
Application of E&M Induction:
Explanation of how “smart lights” on highway
ramp entrances detect if a car is present.
Electron Waves:
Explanation of why electrons are at particular
levels around a nucleus.
Radioactive Decay: Explanation of the
characteristics of alpha, beta, and gamma emissions in radioactive decay.
Half-Life: Half-life is explained and
examples are given of how this procedure is used in dating the earth.
Carbon Dating:
Discussion of scientists using carbon dating.
Nuclear Fission:
A recount of the history of the equation U-235
+ 1 neutron produces Kr-91 + Ba-142 + 3 neutrons + energy. (This equation
predicts a chain reaction.)
Plutonium: Explanation of how U-239
produces neptunium which produces plutonium, and a discussion of why we
didn’t have an appreciable amounts of plutonium in the environment before
the 1950’s.
Mass-Energy Equivalence:
Using graphs, E=mc², an imagination, the
author explains (mass/nucleon) vs. atomic number and that all nucleons don’t
have the same mass.
Nuclear Fusion:
A discussion of the sun and nuclear fusion.
Controlling Nuclear Fusion: A
speculative discussion about unlimited energy and our reactions to a
changing world.
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