Physics

Chernobyl disaster | Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

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

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...

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 ...

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.

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...

Half-life | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P6.1j, P6.2b J250: P4.3j. Explanation and animation - Nuclear decay is random. Half-life.

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...

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

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

Radioactive particle clean up mission | Bang Goes the Theory

Following a leak of thousands of radioactive particles in the 60's, a team at Dounreay are attempting to find an...

Electricity and the Atomic scale | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explores how Ernest Rutherford's work on the atom revealed what electricity was on ...

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 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...

The strong nuclear force | Atom

Like a magnet, protons will repel each other, however, as soon as they are close enough they will stick together.

Types of nuclear radiation | Short Circuit

An explanation of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

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...

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

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

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

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

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...

Using radioactive tracers for bone scans (2) | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P6.2c, P5.2i. Preparation and administration of a tracer for a bone scan of a rower.

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...

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...

Circuits | Curriculum Bites

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

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...

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...

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...

Electricity and the Atomic scale | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explores how Ernest Rutherford's work on the atom revealed what electricity was on ...

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...

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...

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...

How Nikola Tesla electrified his Victorian peers | Victorian Sensations

Hannah Fry describes the first moment Nikola Tesla demonstrated the power of electricity.

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...

03/12/2009 | 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...

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.

What does a fuse do? | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P8.2j J250: P6.2i. Animation showing domestic fuses and fuse boxes. Use of P = I V to choose the correct ...

What is the purpose of the earth wire in a plug? | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P8.2i J250: P6.2h. Animation - purpose of the earth wire.

Uses of electrostatics - the photocopier | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P3.1b, P3.1c, P3.1d. Uses of electrostatics - photocopier - animation and description.

Energy | Bang Goes The Theory

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

Energy changes | Short Circuit

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

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...

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.

Inside a wind turbine | Powering Britain

What a wind turbine looks like inside.

Turbine | Powering Britain

How does a wind turbine produce energy?

Nuclear fuel production | Powering Britain

An exploration of how nuclear fuel is produced in Springfields nuclear fuel site.

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...

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...

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...

Energy | Curriculum Bites

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

Inside a nuclear reactor | Bang Goes the Theory

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

Reducing demand on the grid | Bang Goes the Theory

A company that aims to reduce the demand on the grid at key moments in the day,

Hornsea One | Powering Britain

An introduction to the offshore windfarm Hornsea One.

Inside a boiler at Drax power station | Powering Britain

A look inside one of the six boilers at Drax power station.

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...

S03E10: Edinburgh | Local Heroes

This week Hart-Davis makes the journey to Elgin, re-creating the moment when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, and to the site w...

Special: Exploding Heroes | Local Heroes

In anticipation of Guy Fawkes Night, Adam Hart-Davis goes on a whistlestop tour from Cornwall to Scotland, looking at the inspiratio...

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...

15: Forces and Motion Special | Horrible Science

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

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...

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...

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...

S03E03: Egypt | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis travels to Egypt in search of the earliest heroes of science. Using a drinks can and a stove, he recreates Hero of Alexandria's ...

Acceleration | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.1h J250: P2.1h. Calculating acceleration and what the units mean - description and animation.

Distance-time graphs | GCSE Bitesize Revision

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

S03E04: Italy | Local Heroes

Adam Hart-Davis visits southern Italy, home to the greatest scientists of the ancient world. In Syracuse, he recreates Archimedes' famous ''eure...

Special: Science Special | Local Heroes

In this one-off special Adam Hart-Davis marks significant anniversaries of great British inventors, including Sir Isaac Newton's death.

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...

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...

Momentum | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.2k J250: P2.2k. Animation, description and worked example, p = m v. Description of force = rate of change of momen...

Speed | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.1h J250: P2.1h. Calculating speed and units of speed - description and animation.

Velocity-time graphs | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.1e J250: P2.1e. Description and animation. Velocity 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 and moving objects | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J249: P2.2a, P2.2b, P2.3h J250: P2.2a, P2.2b, P2.3h. Clear description and explanation of types of force a...

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...

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...

Speed time graph - unbalanced forces | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: P2.1e J250: P2.1e. Speed time graph for a rocket related to unbalanced forces.

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...

Electromagnetism | Short Circuit

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

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.

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 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...

Atmospheric pressure | Short Circuit

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

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...

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...

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...

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 | Short Circuit

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

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle | Atom

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

The quantum jump | Atom

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

Physical Processes 3: Temperature and Heat | Scientific Eye

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

What is the bends? | Short Circuit

. How bubbles in the blood cause the bends.

Height and pressure | Short Circuit

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

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Episode 4 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

The competition becomes more intense as the remaining candidates are deprived of oxygen to see if they can recognise the s...

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: Destiny | Wonders of the Universe

Professor Brian Cox explores the laws of the universe. In this episode, Brian looks at the nature of time and its role in creating both...

01: Empire of the Sun | Wonders of the Solar System

Professor Brian Cox describes how the laws of nature have carved natural wonders across the solar system. He explores the...

Episode 5 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

The astronaut candidates fight for their place in the final. Their leadership skills are assessed in a survival test and t...

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 ...

Episode 3 | Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey

Kate Humble is in the Arctic, where spring arrives with a bang. Helen Czerski chases a tornado to show how the earth's angle...

Episode 2 | Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey

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

Evidence of the Big Bang | James May's Things You Need to Know

James May explores the clues left in outer space that are proof of the Big Bang's occurrence.

A Night with the Stars

Professor Brian Cox takes an audience of famous faces, scientists and members of the public on a journey through some of the most challenging concepts...

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 ...

Bitesize Space Science

Jon Chase brings alive a series of fun and engaging demonstrations introducing the subject of space science to Scottish Nationals and GCSE pupils.

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...

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...

03: Falling | Wonders of the Universe

Series in which Professor Brian Cox explores the laws of the universe. In this episode, Brian takes on the story of the force that scul...

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 ...

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...

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...

The electromagnetic spectrum | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P5.2a, P5.2c, P5.2d, P5.2f, P5.2g J250: P4.2a, P4.2c, P4.2d, P4.2f, P4.2g. All electromagnetic waves are t...

Transverse and Longitudinal waves | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J249: NA. The differences between transverse and longitudinal waves demonstrated with an animated slinky...

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...

Transverse and longitudinal waves (2) | GCSE Bitesize Revision

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

Electromagnetic Waves | Short Circuit

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

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...

How science influences mitigation against earthquakes | Short Circuit

An explanation of how buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes.

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...

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...

Refraction | GCSE Bitesize Revision

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

Reflection | GCSE Bitesize Revision

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

Using an understanding of seismic waves to reduce damage to structures | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i. Reducing the damage caused to structures during earthquakes.

Using seismic waves to locate the source of an earthquake | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i. Finding the location of an earthquake.

Seismic waves (2) | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i, P5.1e. Different types of seismic wave - primary (P) and secondary (S) waves.

Seismic waves (1) | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i, P5.1e. Different types of seismic wave - primary (P) and secondary (S) waves.

Seismometer | Short Circuit

Spec references J249: P8.3i, P4.2e. How a seismometer works and use of dynamo effect.

Earthquakes | Short Circuit

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