Curated Video
Centripetal Force: How Central Forces Cause Objects to Spin or Turn
What are central forces and how do they make objects spin or turn? Physics - Forces - Learning Points. A centripetal force makes an object follow a circular path. The moment of inertia is the resistance of an object when the speed of...
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Constellations - Night Sky Patterns
Our sky is split into 88 different sections called constellations, which have been recognised and used by humans for centuries. Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Constellations are set patterns of stars, such as Ursa Major....
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Why Do I Get Travel Sick?
Your body can get confused by different incoming signals. A look at how the ears, eyes, organs and muscles combine to detect motion, and what happens when they're out of sync. Biology - Being Human - Learning Points. Our brain relies on...
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Echolocation: Dolphins
Dolphins use of sound as a navigational tool is essential to their survival. Discover how they produce these sounds and use them to learn about their environment. Physics - Waves - Learning Points. Dolphins, like most marine species, use...
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How Do Lasers Work?
Concentrated light can be incredibly powerful and useful. Learn how laser beams are produced by controlling how atoms emit photons of light. Physics - Waves - Learning Points. Lasers are photons of the same frequency going in the same...
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Joints
An introduction to joint movements, including hinge, ball-and-socket and pivot joints. Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. There are three types of moveable, or synovial, joints within the skeleton. Hinge joints allow movement in one...
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Heart
The heart powers everything you do. It pumps without you thinking about it, and beats over a billion times in an average lifetime. But how does it work? Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. The heart is the hardest working muscle in...
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Fighter Pilots: G-Force
Changes in acceleration pose an extreme risk for fighter pilots. Find out how they train to avoid blacking-out during flights. Physics - Forces - Learning Points. Fighter pilots undergo training to allow them to cope with G-force....
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Coriolis Effect
What is the Coriolis effect? How is it produced and how does it affect our weather? Earth Science - Weather - Learning Points. The way wind blows determines thunderstorms to hurricanes. The Coriolis Effect is a deflection of moving mass...
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AC, DC and Transformers
Power loss affects electricity supply, especially to homes far from power stations. Why is power lost, and how is electricity effectively transported over long distances? Physics - Electricity And Circuits - Learning Points. Direct...
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Binary: The Alien Language
In the 1970s, launched aboard a space probe was what is considered one of the most important scientific diagrams ever created. If found by extraterrestrial life, the plaque explains details about the human race and where we are in the...
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War of the Currents
The battle between famous 19th century inventors Edison and Tesla for a slice of America's electricity market, and the lengths they went to in order to secure it. Physics - Electricity And Circuits - Learning Points. Thomas Edison...
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Vectors: Air Traffic Control
How air traffic controllers use position vectors to ensure that aeroplanes can fly safely in crowded skies. Maths - Algebra A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s math films show abstract...
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Animal Senses
Animals share many of our senses, but can use them in very different ways. Snakes, bats and cheetahs have senses optimised for hunting and migrating in different environments. Biology - Being Human - Learning Points. Different sensory...
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The Tunnel of Samos
How the ancient Greeks were able to use trigonometry to build the first aqueduct, tunnelling from two sides of a mountain to meet in the middle. Maths - Shape A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the...
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Newton's Laws of Motion
Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion explain how and why objects move as they do - the principles which underlie all of modern mechanics. Physics - Forces - Learning Points. Sir Isaac Newton published his laws of motion in 1687. Every movement...
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Momentum
Explore the reasons why objects can keep moving on their own, and why most of them will eventually stop. Physics - Forces - Learning Points. Momentum is how we quantify a moving object. Outside forces affect momentum. Momentum is...
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Oscillating Colour Change
We use three chemical solutions to create an oscillating reaction. The three different solutions are mixed using a magnetic stirrer and the colour changes from clear to amber to dark blue. This pattern repeats as the concentrations of...
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Splitting Light
We use a prism to split white light into its constituent colours. Light is passed through a slit in a screen before it hits the prism. The prism refracts the light and we can see the different colours. A second slit can be used to see...
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Speed, Velocity, Acceleration
Discover how speed, velocity and acceleration are interlinked but very different measurements of motion. Physics - Forces - Learning Points. The velocity and acceleration of any moving object can be calculated. Speed is the distance...
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Monsoon Zone
Around the world monsoons bring huge volumes of seasonal rain to certain regions. The best known is the Asian monsoon, but why does it happen? Earth Science - Weather - Learning Points. Monsoons are heavy rainfalls concentrated over the...
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Diodes and Transistors
How these simple semiconductor devices allow us to control the strength and flow of electrical current in a circuit, and are integral components in modern electrical equipment. Physics - Electricity And Circuits - Learning Points....
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Transformations: Skateboarding
Watch how a skateboard shape is transformed when tricks are performed, by sliding, rotation and reflection. Maths - Shape A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s math films show abstract...
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Stimulated emission
As distinct from spontaneous emission, stimulated emission is the process in which a photon is emitted from an atom or molecule when hit by another photon of the right energy. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in...