Resources by Veritasium

Misconceptions about falling objects

This video explains why objects of different masses fall at the same rate towards the ground. 

A heavy medicine ball is dropped at the same time and from the same height as a lighter basket ball.  They both hit the ground at the same time.

Although the medicine ball has a greater force on it, its...

Misconceptions about heat

This video shows the types of common misconceptions people have about heat.  A book and a metal object, that are the same temperature, are held by people.  They all say the metal object is colder. Using an IR thermometer, it is proved that a cake and its metal container are the same temperature as they are removed...

Misconceptions about temperature

This video considers the misconceptions people have about heat. Most people believe that something that feels hotter to the hand must be at a higher temperature. However, this is not always the case. We do not feel temperature, rather we feel the rate at which heat is conducted towards or away from our hands. Two...

Misconceptions about the universe

This video introduces the Hubble sphere and how the rate of expansion of space can be used to explain how we see very distant objects that are travelling faster than light. The limitation to the observable universe is the particle horizon (where the time is too great for light to have reached the Hubble horizon)....

Persistence of vision

This video demonstrates how the human eye will average or blend fast-flashing red, green and blue lights to produce violet light.  However, if a ball containing the red, green and blue lights are spun the individual lights are clearly visible.  This is because the eye will not merge the separate colours if they...

Physics Nobel prize 2011-Brian Schmidt

This video explores the fate of the universe from an historical position. It explains how the rate of expansion of the universe can be measured.

Pyro board 2D Rubens' tube

This video explains how a Ruben’s tube can be used to demonstrate standings waves, nodes and antinodes (sound).  The flow of flammable gas is affected by sound waves (vibrations). A 2D model of a Ruben’s tube is used to demonstrate a series of standing waves.

Quantum cooling to (near) absolute zero

This video explains how zero point energy in helium-3 and helium-4 atoms means that atoms, even at absolute zero vibrate. The smaller size of the helium-3 means it vibrates more.  In a mixture of helium-3 and helium-4 the helium-3 atoms can get closer to helium-4 than to other helium-3 (less vibration in helium-4...

Quantum entanglement and spooky action at a distance

This video will challenge students. It shows how particle spins of entangled particles and employing the conservation of angular momentum, can be used to solve a problem that Einstein found rather frustrating. The problem: If we measure the spin of one of the particles we automatically know the other, because it...

Radiation vs radioactive atoms

This video discusses the concerns people have about radioactivity and shows that, rather than the radioactivity itself, it is the radioactive atoms that are of greater concern.  Radioactivity (alpha and beta particles) is relatively harmless unless it enters the body.