Mechanical Universe Laserdiscs
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1. Introduction to the Mechanical
Universe
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Introductory preview introduces revolutionary ideas and heroes from Copernicus
to Newton, and links the physics of the heavens and the earth.
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2. The Law of Falling Bodies
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Galileo's imaginative experiments proved that all bodies fall with the
same constant acceleration.
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3. Derivatives
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The function of mathematics in physical science and the derivative as a
practical tool.
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4. Inertia
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Galileo risks his favored status to answer the questions of the universe
with his laws of inertia
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5. Vectors
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Physics must explain not only why and how much, but also where and which
way.
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6. Newton's Laws
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Newton lays down the laws of force, mass, and acceleration.
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7. Integration
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Newton and Leibniz arrive at the conclusion that differentiation and integration
are inverse processes.
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8. The Apple and the Moon
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The first authentic steps toward outer space travel as Newton discovers
that gravity describes the force between any two particles in the universe.
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9. Moving in Circles
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A look at the Platonic theory of uniform circular motion.
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10. Fundamental Forces
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All physical phenomena of nature are explained by four forces: two nuclear
forces, gravity, and electricity
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11. Gravity, Electricity, Magnetism
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Shedding light on the mathematical form of gravitational, electric, and
magnetic forces.
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12. The Millikan Experiment
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A dramatic recreation of Robert Millikan's classic oil-drop experiment
to determine the charge of a single electron.
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13. Conservation of Energy
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According to one of the major laws of physics, energy is neither created
nor destroyed.
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14. Potential Energy
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Potential energy provides a powerful model for understanding why the world
has worked the same way since the beginning of time.
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15. Conservation of Momentum
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What keeps the universe ticking away until the end of time?
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16. Harmonic Motion
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Why a swaying bridge collapses with a high wind, and shy a wine glass shatters
with a higher octave.
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17. Resonance
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Why a swaying bridge collapses with a high wind, and why a wine glass shatters
with a higher octave.
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18. Waves
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With an analysis of simple harmonic motion and a stroke of genius, Newton
extended mechanics to the propagation of sound.
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19. Angular Momentum
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An old momentum with a new twist.
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20. Torques and Gyroscopes
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From spinning tops to the precession of the equinoxes.
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21. Kepler's Three Laws
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The discovery elliptical orbits helps describe the motion of heavenly bodies
with unprecedented accuracy.
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22. The Kepler Problem
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The deduction of Kepler's laws from Newton's universal law of gravitation
is one of the crowning achievements of Western thought.
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23. Energy and Eccentricity
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The precise orbit of a heavenly body-a planet, asteroid, or comet-is fixed
by the laws of conservation of energy and angular momentum.
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24. Navigating in Space
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Voyages to other planets use the same laws that guide planets around the
solar system.
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25. Kepler to Einstein
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From Kepler's laws and the theory of tides, to Einstein's general theory
of relativity, into black holes, and beyond.
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26. Harmony of the Spheres
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A last lingering look back at mechanics to see new connections between
old discoveries.
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27. Beyond the Mechanical Universe
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The world of electricity and magnetism, and 20th century discoveries of
relativity and quantum mechanics.
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28. Static Electricity
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Eighteenth-century electricians knew how to spark the interest of an audience
with the principles of static electricity
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29. The Electric Field
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Michael Faraday's vision of lines of constant force in space laid the foundation
for the modern force field theory.
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30. Potential and Capacitance
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Benjamin Franklin proposes a successful theory of the Leyden Jar and invents
the parallel plate capacitor.
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31. Voltage, Energy, and Force
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When is electricity dangerous or benign, spectacular or useful?
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32. The Electric Battery
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Alessandro Volta invents the electric battery using the internal properties
of different metals.
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33. Electric Circuits
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The work of Charles Wheatstone, Ohm, and Kirchoff leads to the design and
analysis of how current flows.
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34. Magnetism
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William Gilbert, physician to Queen Elizabeth I of England, discovered
that the Earth behaves like a giant magnet. Modern scientist have learned
even more.
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35. The Magnetic Field
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The law of Biot and Savart, the force between electric currents, and Ampere's
Law.
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36. Vector Fields and Hydrodynamics
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Force fields have definite properties of their own suitable for scientific
study.
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37. Electromagnetic Induction
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The discovery of electromagnetic induction in 1831 creates an important
technological breakthrough in the generation of electric power.
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38. Alternating Current
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Electromagnetic induction makes it easy to generate alternating current
while transformers make it practical to distribute it over long distances.
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39. Maxwell's Equations
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James Clark Maxwell discovers that displacement current produces electromagnetic
waves, or light.
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40. Optics
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Many properties of light are properties of waves, including reflection,
refraction, and diffraction.
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41. The Michelson-Morley Experiment
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In 1887, an exquisitely designed measurement of the earth's motion through
the ether results in the most brilliant failure in scientific history
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42. The Lorentz Transformation
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If the speed of light is to be the same for all observers, then the length
of a meter stick, or the rate of a ticking clock, depends on who measures
it.
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43. Velocity and Time
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Albert Einstein is motivated to perfect the central ideas of physics, resulting
in a new understanding of the meaning of space and time.
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44. Mass, Momentum, Energy
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The new meaning of space and time make it necessary to formulate a new
mechanics, therefore E=mc2.
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45. Temperature and Gas Laws
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Hot discoveries about the behavior of gases make the connection between
temperature and heat.
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46. Engine of Nature
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The Carnot engine, part one, beginning with simple steam engines.
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47. Entropy
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The Carnot engine, part two, with profound implications, for the behavior
of matter and the flow of time through the universe.
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48. Low Temperatures
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With the quest for low temperatures came the discovery that all elements
can exist in each of the basic states of matter.
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49. The Atom
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A history of the atom, from the ancient Greeks to the early 20th century,
and a new challenge for the world of physics.
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50. Particles and Waves
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Evidence that light can sometimes act like a particle leads to quantum
mechanics, the new physics.
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51. From Atoms to Quarks
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Electron waves attracted to the nucleus of an atom help account for the
periodic table of the elements and ultimately lead to the search for quarks.
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52. The Quantum Mechanical Universe
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A last look at where we've been and a peek into the future.
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