Physics and Our Universe: How It All Works

Series: Great Courses

4.6

(65)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2011

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Physics is the fundamental science. It explains how the universe works! All you need to begin exploring physics is a grasp of high-school algebra. These lessons are intensively illustrated with diagrams, animations, graphs, and other engaging visual aids and introduce you Newtonian mechanics, oscillations and waves, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, quantum theory, and more.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. The Fundamental Science

30m

Take a quick trip from the subatomic to the galactic realm as an introduction to physics, the science that explains physical reality at all scales. Professor Wolfson shows how physics is the fundamental science that underlies all the natural sciences. He also describes phenomena that are still beyond its explanatory power.

2. Languages of Physics

30m

Understanding physics is as much about language as it is about mathematics. Begin by looking at how ordinary terms, such as theory and uncertainty, have a precise meaning in physics. Learn how fundamental units are defined. Then get a taste of the basic algebra that is used throughout the course.

3. Describing Motion

30m

Motion is everywhere, at all scales. Learn the difference between distance and displacement, and between speed and velocity. Add to these the concept of acceleration, which is the rate of change of velocity, and you are ready to delve deeper into the fundamentals of motion.

4. Falling Freely

30m

Use concepts from the previous episode to analyze motion when an object is under constant acceleration due to gravity. In principle, the initial conditions in such cases allow the position of the object to be determined for any time in the future, which is the idea behind Isaac Newton's clockwork universe.

5. It's a 3-D World!

30m

Add the concept of vector to your physics toolbox. Vectors allow you to specify the magnitude and direction of a quantity such as velocity. The vector's direction can be along any axis, allowing analysis of motion in three dimensions. Then use vectors to solve several problems in projectile motion.

6. Going in Circles

30m

Circular motion is accelerated motion, even if the speed is constant, because the direction, and hence the velocity, is changing. Analyze cases of uniform and non-uniform circular motion. Then close with a problem challenging you to pull out of a dive in a jet plane without blacking out or crashing.

7. Causes of Motion

30m

For most people, the hardest part of learning physics is to stop thinking like Aristotle, who believed that force causes motion. It doesn't. Force causes change in motion. Learn how Galileo's realization of this principle, and Newton's later formulation of his three laws of motion, launched classical physics.

8. Using Newton's Laws- 1-D motion

30m

Investigate Newton's second law, which relates force, mass, and acceleration. Focus on gravity, which results in a force, called weight, that's proportional to an object's mass. Then take a ride in an elevator to see how your measured weight changes due to acceleration during ascent and descent.

9. Action and Reaction

30m

According to Newton's third law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Professor Wolfson has a clearer way of expressing this much-misunderstood phrase. Also, see several demonstrations of action and reaction, and learn about frictional forces through examples such as antilock brakes.

10. Newton's Laws in 2 and 3 Dimensions

30m

Consider Newton's laws in cases of two and three dimensions. For example, how fast does a rollercoaster have to travel at the top of a loop to keep passengers from falling out? Is there a force pushing passengers up as the coaster reaches the top of its arc? The answer may surprise you.

Extended Details

SeriesGreat Courses

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Richard WolfsonActor