Introduction to middle school physics
About this video
This introduction to the Middle School Physics course shows everyday things that seem like magic, such as a charged balloon bending water, and explains that physics is the science of how things happen in the universe. It previews the course: interactions (including ones without contact), energy, and waves such as sound and light.
You'll be able to
- describe physics as the science of how things happen in the universe.
- explain that physicists observe, spot patterns and build models to explain and predict.
- name the big topics in the course: interactions, energy and waves.
Key words
- physics
- The science of how things happen in the universe, from falling apples to light from a screen.
- model
- A simplified explanation that helps us understand what is going on and predict what happens next.
- energy
- Something that can flow from one object to another and helps explain everything from tennis to rockets.
- wave
- A travelling disturbance, such as sound or light, that can carry signals to our ears and eyes.
Transcript
- [Narrator] Have a look at this balloon as you bring it close to the stream of water. Whoa, what's happening over there? Now, check out this other balloon. These bits of paper look like they're under some kind of a spell. Now, these ordinary objects seem like they're doing magic, but they are not.
The world around you is full of things that seem magical until you understand how they work. I mean, how are you hearing my voice right now? How does the sound from your computer or the phone even reach your ears? And how are you even seeing this video? What even is this light that's coming off of your screen?
And what about our planet? What's keeping the Earth moving around the sun? We dig into all of this and more in our "Middle School Physics" course. Physics is the science of how things happen in the universe. It's about observing the world, spotting various kinds of patterns and building models that help explain what's going on and what's going to happen next.
We will explore how things interact with each other, and we'll see that some interactions don't even need contact, objects can simply affect each other across space. Then we'll dive into energy, trying to understand what it really is and how does it flow from one object to another, because it helps explain everything from tennis to rockets.
And finally, we look at waves, what they are and how they travel, and how we even use them. We'll dive into sound waves and explore how the ears hear them and investigate electromagnetic waves, which carry light signals and images to our eyes and screens. But in this course, you won't just sit back and watch.
You'll roll up your sleeves and dive into problems that sharpen your scientific thinking. You'll practice spotting patterns, building your own models, and using them to make sense of complex behavior, just like what real scientists do. What feels like magic is often just something we don't understand yet.
Welcome to "Middle School Physics." Let's uncover the magic and discover how the universe really works.
Video © Khan Academy, used under CC BY-NC-SA. Watch on Khan Academy. Puzzicle is not affiliated with Khan Academy.