Physics

02: Out of Sight | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond uses groundbreaking imaging technology to take the viewer on a journey of discovery beyond the visible ...

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Michael Mosley investigates Porton Down, Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base. He...

History of the Atom: From Rutherfor to Bohr | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Spec references J248: C1.2a J250: C1.2a. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains the history of the ato...

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond explores the miniature universe around us, from microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger a...

An Alpha, Beta and Gamma of Radioactivity | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Chernobyl disaster | Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

Introduction to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the temporary construction that was built to contain the radiation.

02: What is the World Made Of? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

Michael Mosley explores how history shaped science. Here, he looks at how atomic theories and...

The discovery of nuclear fission | Atom

Scientists in the 1930's toyed with neutrons colliding with nucleai and were excited at the thought that such experiments could creat...

Nuclear radiation - what are alpha, beta and gamma radiation? | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P6.1d J250: P4.3d. Animation and explanation of alpha, beta and gamma ...

Nuclear structure | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P6.1a, P6.1d J250: P4.3a,P4.3d. Animation and description of nuclear structure of unstable nucleus (francium).

02: Marie Curie's Radium | The Six Experiments That Changed The World

From Galileo to Einstein, from Faraday to Mendel: modern scientists try to recreate the seminal experim...

The Key to the Cosmos | Atom

Jim Al-Khalili's documentary series about the building block of our universe, the atom. He shows how the mystery of the universe's creation was ...

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

Alpha particles | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Rutherford stated the fact that most alpha particles go straight through foil is evidence for the atom being mostly empty spa...

The big bang and the creation of hydrogen and helium | Atom

George Gamow believed that helium existed in the universe before the sun and the stars were formed.

Nuclear fusion | Atom

Sunlight is created by nuclear fusion in the Sun when two protons are fused together.

Discovery of the Neutron | Atom

Spec references J248: C1.2d, C1.2e J250: C1.2d, C1.2e. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains how James Chadwick discovered the neutron. This solv...

S05E04: Nobel Prize Winners | Local Heroes

In an edition devoted to celebrating Britons who have won the Nobel Prize, Adam Hart-Davis lauds John Cockcroft's work on splittin...

Albert Einstein | Icons

Einstein was a physicist who rewrote the rules of the universe. Hounded from his native Germany by the Nazis and fearful of what they were capable of...

Chemical weapons | Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Introducing the idea of chemical and biological weapons, leading onto pathogens.

01: Spark | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili tells how the first 'natural philosophers' began to unlock electricity's mysteries, studying its curious l...

02: The Age of Invention | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili shows how harnessing the link between magnetism and electricity transformed the world, allo...

Resistance | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explains how, as we made microchips smaller, the electrical feature of resistance was becoming more probl...

03/12/2009 | Bang Goes the Theory

A Bang Goes the Theory special event showing how much electricity we use without even thinking about it. The gang attempts to power a house...

Alternating current | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Nikola Tesla invented alternating current (AC) which allowed no electrical power to be lost when passing throug...

Voltaic Pile | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Invented by Italian chemist Alessandro Volta in 1799, the voltaic pile was the first electrical battery that could con...

Positive and negative charges | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Benjamin Franklin discovered that electricity could be like money in a bank, it could be in credit (p...

Circuit symbols | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P3.2b J250: P3.2b. Circuit symbols - narrated slides.

Parallel and series circuits | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P3.1e, P3.1f, P3.2a, P3.2b J250: P3.1d, P3.1e, P3.2a, P3.2b. Circuit symbols, differences between...

Mains electricity 2 | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Animated shorts to support students preparing for assessments in GCSE Additional Science.

Mains electricity | GCSE Bitesize Revision

A revision programme covering electricity.

Electromagnetic waves | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explains Michael Faraday's theory that any electrical charge can create a forcefield surroundi...

What is electricity | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

An electric current is essentially the flow of electrons (which are electrically charged) from one atom to anot...

Leyden Jar | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

A Leyden jar is a device for storing static electricity, discovered accidentally in Leiden, Netherlands.

The invention of the electricity generator | The Genius of Invention

Mark Miodownik explores the scientific achievements of Michael Faraday. He linked ideas of motion and ma...

S05E01: London | Local Heroes

London is the first destination, where he investigates the invention of the lightning conductor, the pressure cooker and the electrocardiogram.

S04E01: South West | Local Heroes

This week he reveals the heroes of Bath, Stroud, Dorset and the New Forest, from the inventor of concrete to a pioneer of static electricit...

S03E01: Cornwall | Local Heroes

Adam visits south-west England, where his subjects include William Murdock, who devised the world's first mechanical vehicle and also came up...

03: Revelations and Revolutions | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili concludes by looking at how, if we could understand the secret of electrical superco...

Alternating and direct current | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P8.2h J250: P6.2g. Alternating and direct current. Description and animation.

Energy | Bang Goes The Theory

Jem Stansfield, Liz Bonnin and Maggie Philbin investigate how close Britain might get to running out of electricity.

01: Speed Limits | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Using state-of-the-art technologies, Richard Hammond goes beyond the limits of the naked eye and explores the hidden se...

Fukushima: Is Nuclear Power Safe? | Horizon

Six months after the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, Professor Jim Al-Khalili sets out to discover whether nu...

Britain's Nuclear Secrets: Inside Sellafield

Jim Al-Khalili uncovers the story of Sellafield. He encounters some of the most dangerous substances on earth, reveals the natur...

Episode 4 | The Secrets of Everything

Greg Foot finds out if you can escape when buried alive, what he needs to become the world's fastest man, why a boomerang comes back an...

04: Can We Have Unlimited Power? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

Michael Mosley shows how the most power-hungry generation that has ever lived has harnessed...

Inside a wind turbine | Powering Britain

What a wind turbine looks like inside.

Physical Processes 3: Temperature and Heat | Scientific Eye

The show delves into the nature of heat as a form of energy transfer,

Conduction, convection and radiation and insulation. | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P5.2a, P5.2f J250: P5.2a, P5.2f. Conduction, convection and radiation, and ho...

S02E01 | Bang Goes The Theory

Jem tries to smash a land speed record with a fire extinguisher, a go kart and a well-oiled spanner.

Risky Business | Short Circuit

Has France's nuclear power policy gone too far with its network of 55 reactors? A look at the risks and benefits.

Energy changes | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Inside a nuclear reactor | Bang Goes the Theory

Jem climbs inside a nuclear reactor and explains how nuclear power is produced.

Energy transportation | Powering Britain

How energy made by the wind turbines is transported to our homes.

Turbine | Powering Britain

How does a wind turbine produce energy?

Heysham nuclear power station | The One Show

A look inside Heysham nuclear power station, with an explanation of how nuclear power works.

Storing renewable energy | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Dr Tara Shine and Dr Enass Abo-Hamed explain how we can store renewable energy.

Prof Jim Al Khalili goes inside Calder Hall for his first look inside the core of a nuclear reactor | Britain's Nuclear Secrets: Inside Sellafield

Nuclear physicist Professo...

S04E03: North East | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis's cycling tour of Britain takes him this week to Yorkshire, where he visits Leeds Bridge, site of the first motion picture ...

S03E16: Glasgow | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis concludes the series by visiting western Scotland. There he learns about John Logie Baird, inventor of the television, Lord Ke...

S02E04:...about Speed | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May explains all you need to know about speed with a fast-moving mix of animation and motion graphics, incl...

15: Forces and Motion Special | Horrible Science

A weird and wonderful look at how gravity, magnetism and friction impact everything. With Fred Sirieix.

01: Speed Limits | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Using state-of-the-art technologies, Richard Hammond goes beyond the limits of the naked eye and explores the hidden se...

01: Deep Earth | How Earth Made Us

Series telling the story of how the development of civilisation was influenced by planetary forces. Professor Iain Stewart explores the ro...

Survivors | Short Circuit

Aircraft crash investigators agree on measures to improve survival rates-but why have the authorities failed to act on these recommendations?

04: The Pale Blue Dot | Forces of Nature with Brian Cox

Professor Brian Cox reveals how Earth's beauty is created by just a handful of forces. In this episode Brian explains...

The Science of D-Day

Engineer Rob Bell explores the new inventions - from giant troop-carrying gliders to tanks that could operate on water - that made the Normandy invasion...

2008-2009: 13: How to Survive a Disaster | Horizon

When disaster strikes who lives and who dies is not purely a matter of luck - Horizon has gathered a team of experts to pr...

Episode 3 | The Secrets of Everything

Greg Foot finds out if winning unfair fights only happens in the movies, asks why the sky is blue and experiences the highs and lows of...

01: The Universe in a Snowflake | Forces of Nature with Brian Cox

In this episode Brian looks at the stunning diversity of shapes.

Force arrows and balanced forces | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.2c, P2.2d, P2.2f J250: P2.2c, P2.2d, P2.2f. Force arrows and balanced forces - animation a...

03: What Is Gravity? | Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time

Brian takes a fresh look at the concept of gravity, revealing it to be far more than just the force that make...

Forces & Motion | Curriculum Bites

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

Newton's Equation Of Gravity | Beautiful Equations

An explanation of Newton's equation of gravity.

S05E05: Italy | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis sets his sights further afield with a trip to Italy, where he ascends the Leaning Tower of Pisa in a bid to reproduce Galileo's ...

S03E05: South | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis continues his search for unsung heroes of science when he cycles around the south of England. On a stop-off in Surrey, he uses a...

Kinetic energy | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P7.1e J250: P5.1e. Animation, description and worked example. Kinetic energy.

Distance-time graphs | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.1b J250: P2.1b. Description and animation. Distance time graphs.

Forces when falling and terminal velocity | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.2f, P2.2h J250: P2.2f, P2.2h. Falling, air resistance, balanced forces and termin...

Forces on a sky diver and terminal velocity | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P2.2f J250: P2.2f. Speed time graph for a parachutist and terminal velocity (no parachu...

Electromagnetism | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

04: Faraday's Doughnut | The Six Experiments That Changed The World

From Galileo to Einstein, from Faraday to Mendel: modern scientists try to recreate the seminal experimen...

S04E06: Royal Institute Special | Local Heroes

In the last programme of the series, Adam Hart-Davis celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Royal Institution - made famous b...

Why do some materials become charged? | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P3.1a, P3.1b J250: P3.1a, P3.1b. Why insulating materials can be charged but conducting ...

Attraction and repulsion | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P3.1b J250: P3.1b. Attraction and repulsion between objects ( charging by induction not addressed) - ...

The race to prove Maxwell's theory | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explains how physics professor Oliver Lodge proved Maxwell's theory that electrom...

Electricity, Magnetism, Motion | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Hans Christian Ørsted discovered that an electric current creates a magnetic field.

The Clash of the Titans | Atom

Nuclear physicist Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of the discovery that everything is made of atoms, and of the minds behind the scientific bre...

How Rutherford Discovered the Nucleus | Atom

Spec references J248: C1.2a J250: C1.2a. Detailed desciption of how Rutherford's alpha particle scattering experiment was develo...

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond explores the miniature universe around us, from microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger a...

02: The Race for Absolute Zero | Absolute Zero

Documentary charting rival attempts to reach absolute zero, the ultimate limit of cold, by scientists in London and Leiden.

01: The Conquest of Cold | Absolute Zero

Documentary charting the progress of scientists throughout history who attempted to harness the ultimate limit of cold, known as Abs...

Pressure | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Physical Processes 3: Temperature and Heat | Scientific Eye

The show delves into the nature of heat as a form of energy transfer,

Atmospheric pressure | Short Circuit

. Atmospheric pressure is related to the weight of the air above you.

Ice crystal properties | The Secret Life of Ice

Dr Gabrielle Walker and Dr Andrea Sella investigate the properties of ice crystals, to explain why ice floats.

Neutrino: Hunting the Ghost Particle

The astonishing tale of how scientists have battled against the odds to detect and decode the neutrino - the strangest, most elusive par...

What is the bends? | Short Circuit

. How bubbles in the blood cause the bends.

The decompression chamber | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P1.3c, P1.3d, P1.3f. How a decompression chamber works - animation and analogy with diving context .

Pressure and water depth | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P1.3c, P1.3d, P1.3f. Effect of water depth on an enclosed volume of air - scuba diver.

Pressure on ice | The Secret Life of Ice

Dr Gabrielle Walker and Dr Andrea Sella investigate what happens when pressure is applied to ice and how this allows us to ice skate.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle | Atom

Jim Al-Khalili explains Heisenberg's famous Uncertainty Principle that explains why an atom can't be visualised.

Height and pressure | Short Circuit

Effect of height above the surface of the Earth on pressure - diving patient on a helicopter flight.

The effect of pressure on gases | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P1.3c, P1.3d, P1.3f. The effect of pressure on bubble size - animation.

Dissolved gases under pressure | Short Circuit

. Spec references: J249: P1.3c, P1.3d, P1.3f Analogy between dissolved gases in the blood and fizzy drinks.

Introduction to Electronic Structure and Chemical Properties | Atom

Spec references J248: C2.2h J250: C2.2h. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains how chemical properties are de...

The quantum jump | Atom

Jim Al-Khalili attempts to explain one of the most difficult scientific concepts, but one that underpins everything.

Episode 1 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Chris Hadfield, Dr Kevin Fong and Dr Iya Whiteley put 12 candidates through a series of physical and psychological tests t...

02: Out of Sight | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond uses groundbreaking imaging technology to take the viewer on a journey of discovery beyond the visible ...

Episode 1 | Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey

Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski follow the Earth's voyage around the sun for one complete orbit, travelling first from July...

05: The Big Bang: Before the Dawn | Universe

It's the ultimate question: why are we here? Brian Cox explores how cutting-edge space missions take us back 13.8 billion years ...

01: Space: How Far Can We Go? | Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time

Brian Cox explores the latest science and takes a new look at his old films and asks: how far can we...

01: A Moment in the Sun - The Terrestrial Planets | The Planets

The rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars were born at the same time from the same material - yet hav...

Episode 3 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Old fears surface when the remaining candidates face some space agency swim tests. Their teamwork and mental agility are s...

S01E02:...about the Universe | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May takes a journey of discovery across the universe, asking where it all began, how stars work, and...

Episode 2 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

The remaining astronaut candidates are put through more demanding tests. They have to escape from an underwater capsule an...

02: The Two Sisters - Earth and Mars | The Planets

Professor Brian Cox continues his tour of the solar system revealing that it was once home to not one, but two blue planets.

02: Stardust | Wonders of the Universe

Professor Brian Cox explores the laws of the universe. In this episode, he seeks to answer the biggest questions of all - what are we ...

01: Deep Earth | How Earth Made Us

Series telling the story of how the development of civilisation was influenced by planetary forces. Professor Iain Stewart explores the ro...

Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey | Learning Zone

Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski follow the Earth's voyage around the sun for one complete orbit, to witness the astonis...

Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars

With unique access to Nasa, Brian Cox follows Perseverance rover's search for life on Mars during a critical seven-day period as it undertakes ...

01: The Sun: God Star | Universe

Since the first star lit up the universe, they have been engines of creation. Professor Brian Cox reveals how, ultimately, stars brought lif...

How hurricanes are formed by Earth's rotation | Learning Zone

Physicist Helen Czerski explains that hurricanes happen because the earth is rotating. She shows how, because t...

The centre of our solar system | Wonders of the Solar System

Professor Brian Cox describes each planet's perspective of the star at the centre of our solar system.

Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe | Horizon

The inside story of the James Webb Space Telescope, following the Nasa team building the £8 billion device and...

Episode 6 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

The finalists head to the Shuttle Landing Facility on Florida's Space Coast for a tough test in weightlessness, and back i...

03: Storm Worlds | Solar System

Professor Brian Cox explores the solar system's wildest weather, encountering powerful lightning, strange metallic frosts and monsoon rains o...

02: Out of Sight | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond uses groundbreaking imaging technology to take the viewer on a journey of discovery beyond the visible ...

01: Speed Limits | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Using state-of-the-art technologies, Richard Hammond goes beyond the limits of the naked eye and explores the hidden se...

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

Richard Hammond explores the miniature universe around us, from microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger a...

Earthquakes And Seismic Waves | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Electromagnetic Waves | Short Circuit

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

The science of Earthquakes | Short Circuit

Earthquakes are caused by shifts in tectonic plates. The example in this video features San Francisco which sits on the San Andrea...

S03E07: Potteries | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis searches for unsung heroes of science on a trip to the Potteries, Staffordshire. Using a few pipes, a ribbon and an air pump...

Reflection | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P5.1g. Demonstration and description with animation of ray diagram for reflection.

Transverse and longitudinal waves (2) | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P5.1e J250: P4.1e. The differences between transverse and longitudinal waves demonstrate...

Earthquakes | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i. Why earthquakes happen.

Properties of waves - reflection | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P5.1g. Demonstration and description with animation of ray diagram for reflection.

Light and sound waves | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Animated shorts to support students preparing for assessments in GCSE Additional Science.

The power of invisibility | Bitesize Science

Light moves at different speeds through different objects, this can make objects appear in a different place to where they actua...

Internal reflection | Bitesize Science

An examination of how light can be internally reflected, and how this is used for carrying information in fibre optic cables.

The ultraviolet catastrophe and black-body radiation | The Secrets of Quantum Physics

Max Planck was interested in why light changed colour as it got hotter, so built a blac...

How science influences mitigation against earthquakes | Short Circuit

An explanation of how buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes.

Refraction & Total internal reflection | Short Circuit

An explanation of refraction and reflection.

Chladni experiment | Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics

Dr Helen Czerski investigates the science behind the sounds and how Chladni used sand to see the shape of sound vib...

S03E13: Gloucestershire | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis recalls the work of Edwin Beard Budding, who invented the lawnmower, and focuses on William Henry Fox Talbot, the fath...

Refraction | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P5.1g. Simple description of refraction.