Instructional Video

The Ultraviolet Catastrophe

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

What do scientists do when their observations don't match the theory? An interesting video introduces the ultraviolet catastrophe as part of a larger series covering physics concepts. Starting with ultraviolet light and ending with quantum physics sounds like a long jump, but that is the path scientists used to solve the problem. We may not understand everything now, but we are so much closer than we were before.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Stress the fact that the most important discoveries were often made because of mistakes
  • After the video, share some of the most recent discoveries in quantum physics
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires prior knowledge of ultraviolet light and famous scientists
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Includes subtitles in eight languages for ELLs
  • Works well in a traditional or flipped classroom
  • Connects history, science, math, and more
Cons
  • None