Deep Look
What Gives the Morpho Butterfly Its Magnificent Blue?
Things are not always as they appear. The morpho butterfly appears to have blue wings, but they don't contain a drop of blue pigment. Learners watch as the instructor explains the physics behind these amazing blue wings.
Deep Look
How Electric Light Changed the Night
Explore the changes in sleep patterns over time. Pupils learn how the changes in lighting have triggered adaptations in sleep patterns. Modern lighting mimics the light waves of the sun, which suppresses melatonin production and makes...
MinutePhysics
Why are Stars Star-Shaped?
We know stars are giant balls of plasma, so why are they drawn as pointy star shapes? The video solves this mystery through an explanation of how lenses work both in our eyes and in telescopes. It also discusses the proper way to color a...
MinutePhysics
The Sound of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but can we hear it? By taking the wavelengths of the atomic spectrum of radiation from hydrogen, the creator of the video shifts the waves into sound waves. Then, he shifts these waves into...
MinutePhysics
The Speed of Light in Glass
What happens to the speed of light as it goes through a glass door? Light travels slower through glass than through air, but does the speed of light change or is it just our perception? The short video explains the speed of light as it...
SciShow
3 Physics Experiments That Changed the World
This video highlights three experiments that change the way people think about the world. First up, scientists measure gravity. Next, it discusses the debate surrounding whether light is a wave or a particle. Finally, the atomic model...
SciShow
Cloaking Devices!
Cloaking devices aren't just for Star Trek and Harry Potter any more! Here's a video that explains how cloaking devices work, or don't work. It details the technology needed to perfect cloaking and offers ideas for where researchers...
Bozeman Science
Light
Colors, a variation of the wavelength of light they emit, is the focus of a video that explains the different frequencies of light waves, models how our brain processes the electromagnetic radiation, and how we perceive light.
Bozeman Science
Waves
Calculating frequency is so easy it Hertz! The video begins by describing transverse and longitudinal waves, and then it explores their properties and applications. Finally, it applies this to the formulaic relationships between wave...
SciShow
Tractor Beams: Almost Real!
Tractor beams attract an object from a distance and were first proposed in a science fiction novel published in 1931. A video explains how current tractor beams work, what they are able to move, and the limitations of moving things. It...
DoodleScience
The Big Bang Theory and Red-Shift
The universe is getting bigger and bigger! A video features an instructor explaining the Big Bang Theory and gives evidence to show the universe is still expanding. Discussion includes the doppler effect and the red-shift in the light...
Berkeley University of California
Absorption and Emission Spectra
How does quantization affect absorption and emission? The instructor explains how creating boundaries for a particle that behaves like a wave creates quantization. This is the property that allows for the absorption and emission of...
Berkeley University of California
Particle In a Box-Tube
What happens when you fix the ends of a wave? The video explains the answer by outlining the concept of quantization through a mathematical analysis. The instructor illustrates how only certain wavelengths are possible within a specific...
Berkeley University of California
Light Wave-Particle Duality
How can light be both a wave and particle? A video explains the co-existing wave and particle nature of light. Using formulas discussed in previous lessons in the series, the instructor develops the formula that shows the...
TED-Ed
Einstein's Miracle Year
Why was Albert Einstein initially labeled as a "failed" academic, and what events occurred in 1905 that constituted a major turning point for this great scientist? Review Einstein's major theories regarding relativity, light...
Steve Spangler Science
Disappearing Money - Sick Science! #049
Bring a little magic into the classroom. Fill a cup with water, place a plate underneath it, and watch a coin disappear. This is a great way to kick off a discussion involving the behavior of light and the concepts of reflection and...
Curated OER
Refraction
Refraction is the bending of light, changing its path. This phenomenon is caused by a change in the speed of the light waves. This video provides visual demonstrations of refraction through various media. It concludes by mentioning how...
Steve Spangler Science
Sun Sensitive Paper
Photo reactive paper is used to do art! You can order this type of paper, have learners place objects on it, and then set it out in the sunlight for a few minutes to create a print. A chemical reaction occurs, driven by light, to turn...
Curated OER
Disappearing Money
Bring a little magic into the classroom. Fill a cup with water, place a plate underneath it, and watch a coin disappear. This is a great way to kick off a discussion involving the behavior of light and the concepts of reflection and...
Curated OER
STEMbite: Polarization of Light
Here is a backyard explanation of the polarization of light. Using his porch railing, the video narrator demonstrates that if the grating is lined up with the direction of light waves, represented by a hula hoop, the waves are allowed to...
Curated OER
Infrared Light
Infrared light is described as a light frequency we are unable to see. This clip shows how infrared works to send an "invisible" signal to turn on the TV. This clip doesn't explain why we can't see infrared but it does raise some...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Light Particles Acting Like Waves: The Uncertainty Principle
This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey uses a laser beam to demonstrate how light particles act like waves, illustrating Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. [2:07]
Bozeman Science
Bozeman Science: Wave Particle Duality of Light
In the following video Paul Andersen explains how light can be treated as both a particle and a wave. Physicists use scale to determine which model to use when studying light. When the wavelength of light is equivalent to the size of the...
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
Iris: Seismic Shadow Zones vs Light Shadows
Is it possible to compare Earth's seismic shadow zones to light shadows? Let's find out with this video! [3:16]