Videos to support remote teaching of physics

Remote teaching support for

A collection of physics video resources to use remotely with your students. Many of the suggestions can be used across different age groups with appropriate questions to test understanding.

Health and Safety Guidance

These experiments have been selected by trained teachers as appropriate for use at home, but we have not specifically tested them for home use.

All experiments are carried out at your own risk.

To avoid risk of injury or damage, we recommend that you follow the instructions as shown, and that a responsible adult supervises all practical activity and considers the suitability of each task for their child.

Teachers proposing to recommend any resources to their students should:

work within safety policies established by their school;
use their professional judgement to assess the suitability of experiments for their own students;
direct students and their parents/guardians to follow all stated instructions.

Electricity and Magnetism

Electricity and magnetism videos

Remote teaching support for 5-11 11-14 14-16 16-19

A selection of videos to use remotely with your students.

For students aged 11-14 and 14-16:

Static electricity - ask your students to watch the following videos and try to explain the phenomena.

Demo using a charged balloon to rotate a free hanging sausage.

Dancing cornstarch

A fun way to learn circuit symbols: Kung-fu circuit symbols

For students aged 14-16:

Transmission of electricity along power lines

We are electrons - revision song

For students aged 14-16 and 16-19:

Explaining electromagnetism can be tricky - below are a number of videos that try to explain and demonstrate different aspects of the phenomenon.

Magnetic field due to current

Creating a simple electric motor

Virtual demo of a Westminster motor kit

How DC motors work

Motor effect - showing F = BIL experimentally

Electromagnetic induction

Levitating barbecue - electromagnetic induction

How transformers work

First electric generator

For students aged 16-19:

Induced EMF (using a search coil)

Internal resistance and how to measure it

Creating a bin-bag capacitor

Faraday's law of magnetic induction

Energy

Energy and Thermal Physics

Energy and thermal physics videos

Remote teaching support for 11-14 14-16 16-19

A selection of videos that are suitable to use remotely with your students.

For students aged 11-16

Videos relating to energy stores

Pendulum demonstration - do you trust in the laws of physics?

Stacked ball drop

Energy song

Coupled pendulum experiment - students could discuss the energy stores involved

Videos relating to Energy resources

Energy use in the home - can bikes be used to power your home?

Why is the atmosphere getting warmer?

Videos relating to thermal energy

Which freezes faster: hot or cold water?

Fireproof balloon

Marvin and Milo flame balloon home experiment - instructions for students to do this experiment themselves with adult supervision. All experiments are carried out at your own risk. To avoid risk of injury or damage, we recommend that you follow the instructions as shown, and that a responsible adult supervises all practical activity and considers the suitability of each task for their child.

For students aged 16-19

Misconceptions about temperature

Perpetual motion machines (with references to ideal gas laws)

Careers videos linked to energy and thermal physics

Careers in context: solar energy

Careers in context: efficiency in architecture

Theme park designer career profile

Careers in the renewable energy field

Energy manager Eden Project case study

Environment planning career case study

Career pathways into the energy sector

Hookes Law

Properties of Matter

Properties of matter videos

Remote teaching support for 11-14 14-16 16-19

For students aged 11-14:

You can remind students about states of matter in this short clip from the BBC. There are more in the series, which is found by searching for chemistry topics.
The changes of state are described and linked to the changes at a particle level; as is often the case for chemistry videos, the energy references may need further explanation.

For students aged 14-16:

There are several variations of the required practical on density that students can complete at home, but for explanations of the lab method it's worth showing them the correct equipment.
This explanation by a teacher of the Hooke's Law practical, including key points about the experimental method, may also be useful.
If you can cope with the American enthusiasm and accent this Crash Course on ideal gas laws is excellent. It overlaps with the content needed by older students and focuses on the relationships, not the experimental detail.

For students aged 16-19:

It can be useful to show how properties of gases are combined with a clear diagram, summarising what students can obtain from simulations.
Students can't use a fire piston at home but the explanation here is very helpful.

Force

Forces and Motion

Forces and motion videos

Remote teaching support for 11-14 14-16 16-19

A selection of videos to use remotely with your students when teaching about Forces and Motion.

Exploring the different types of force

The effect of friction on motion

Force components

Resolving forces

Newton's First Law.

Tim Peake's Principia mission to the ISS generated some excellent videos that students of all age groups will benefit from. Others in the series include: