Skip to main content
Home Conceptual Academy
Understanding Our Natural Universe

Main navigation

  • PocketLab Links
    • Texas Proc 24
    • CA for High Schools
    • Conceptual Algebra
    • Contributions
  • Sign Up
Sign In >

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Conceptual Physical Science Explorations
  3. Chapter 1: About Science

Conceptual Physical Science Explorations

Chapter 1: About Science

  • 1.1 A Brief History of Advances in Science
  • 1.2 Mathematics and Conceptual Physical Science
  • 1.3 Scientific Methods—Classic Tools
  • 1.4 Scientific Hypotheses Must Be Testable
  • 1.5 A Scientific Attitude Underlies Good Science
  • 1.6 The Search for Order—Science, Art, and Religion
  • 1.7 Technology—Practical Use of the Findings of Science
  • 1.8 The Physical Sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Astronomy
  • 1.9 In Perspective
Physics, The Basic Science
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
  • 2x
  • 1.75x
  • 1.5x
  • 1.25x
  • 1x, selected
  • 0.75x
  • 0.5x
  • Chapters
  • descriptions off, selected
  • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
  • captions off, selected

    This is a modal window.

    Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

    Text
    Background
    Window
    Font Size
    Text Edge Style
    Font Family

    End of dialog window.

    This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

    This is a modal window.

    Physics is the study of the rules of nature and is foundational to other sciences, such as chemistry and biology. Duration: 1:38.

    VIDEO QUIZ

    Table of Videos

    • Chapter 1: About Science
      • 1.1 A Brief History of Advances in Science
      • 1.2 Mathematics and Conceptual Physical Science
      • 1.3 Scientific Methods—Classic Tools
      • 1.4 Scientific Hypotheses Must Be Testable
      • 1.5 A Scientific Attitude Underlies Good Science
      • 1.6 The Search for Order—Science, Art, and Religion
      • 1.7 Technology—Practical Use of the Findings of Science
      • 1.8 The Physical Sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Astronomy
      • 1.9 In Perspective
    • Chapter 2: Newton's First Law of Motion
      • 2.1 Aristotle’s Classification of Motion
      • 2.2 Galileo’s Concept of Inertia
      • 2.3 Galileo’s Concepts of Speed and Velocity
      • 2.4 Motion is Relative
      • 2.5 Newton’s First Law of Motion—The Law of Inertia
      • 2.6 Net Force—The Combination of All Forces That Act on an Object
      • 2.7 Equilibrium for Objects at Rest
      • 2.8 The Support Force—Why We Don’t Fall Through the Floor
      • 2.9 Equilibrium for Moving Objects
      • 2.10 Earth Moves Around the Sun
    • Chapter 3: Newton's Second Law
      • 3.1 Galileo Developed the Concept of Acceleration
      • 3.2 Force Causes Acceleration
      • 3.3 Mass Is a Measure of Inertia
      • 3.4 Mass Resists Acceleration
      • 3.5 Newton’s Second Law Links Force, Acceleration, and Mass
      • 3.6 Friction Is a Force That Affects Motion
      • 3.7 Objects in Free Fall Have Equal Acceleration
      • 3.8 Newton’s Second Law Explains Why Objects in Free Fall Have Equal Acceleration
      • 3.9 Acceleration of Fall Is Less When Air Drag Acts
    • Chapter 4: Newton's Third Law
      • 4.1 A Force Is Part of an Interaction
      • 4.2 Newton’s Third Law—Action and Reaction
      • 4.3 A Simple Rule Helps Identify Action and Reaction
      • 4.4 Action and Reaction on Objects of Different Masses
      • 4.5 Action and Reaction Forces Act on Different Objects
      • 4.6 The Classic Horse-Cart Problem—A Mind Stumper
      • 4.7 Action Equals Reaction
      • 4.8 Summary of Newton’s Three Laws
    • Chapter 5: Momentum
      • 5.1 Momentum is Inertia in Motion
      • 5.2 Impulse Changes Momentum
      • 5.3 Momentum Change is Greater When Bouncing Occurs
      • 5.4 When No External Force Acts, Momentum Doesn’t Change—It is Conserved
      • 5.5 Momentum is Conserved in Collisions
    • Chapter 6: Energy
      • 6.1 Work—Force x Distance
      • 6.2 Power—How Quickly Work Gets Done
      • 6.3 Mechanical Energy
      • 6.4 Potential Energy Is Stored Energy
      • 6.5 Kinetic Energy Is Energy of Motion
      • 6.6 Work-Energy Theorem
      • 6.7 Conservation of Energy
      • 6.8 Machines—Devices to Multiply Forces
      • 6.9 Efficiency—A Measure of Work Done for Energy Spent
      • 6.10.Sources of Energy
      • 6.11 Energy for Life
    • Chapter 7: Gravity
      • 7.1 The Legend of the Falling Apple
      • 7.2 The Fact of the Falling Moon
      • 7.3 Newton’s Grandest Discovery—The Law of Universal Gravitation
      • 7.4 Gravity and Distance: The Inverse-Square Law
      • 7.5 The Universal Gravitational Constant, G
      • 7.6 The Mass of the Earth Is Measured
      • 7.7 Projectile Motion
      • 7.8 Fast-Moving Projectiles—Satellites
      • 7.9 Earth Satellites in Circular Orbits
      • 7.10 Satellites in Elliptical Orbits
      • 7.11 Escape Speed—Getting “Out There”
      • 7.12 Gravitation Is Universal
    • Chapter 8: Fluid Mechanics
      • 8.1 Density—A Measure of Compactness
      • 8.2 Pressure—Force per Area
      • 8.3 Buoyancy in a Liquid
      • 8.4 Archimedes’ Principle—Sink or Swim
      • 8.5 Pressure in a Gas
      • 8.6 Atmospheric Pressure Is Due to the Weight of the Atmosphere
      • 8.7 Pascal’s Principle—The Transmission of Pressure in a Fluid
      • 8.8 Buoyancy in a Gas—More Archimedes’ Principle
      • 8.9 Bernoulli’s Principle—Flying With Physics
    • Chapter 9: Heat
      • 9.1 Thermal Energy—The Total Energy in a Substance
      • 9.2 Temperature—Average Kinetic Energy Per Molecule in a Substance
      • 9.3 Absolute Zero—Nature’s Lowest Possible Temperature
      • 9.4 Heat Is the Movement of Thermal Energy
      • 9.5 Specific Heat Capacity— A Measure of Thermal Inertia
      • 9.6 Thermal Expansion
      • 9.7 Conduction—Heat Transfer via Particle Collision
      • 9.8 Convection—Heat Transfer via Movements of Fluid
      • 9.9 Radiation—Heat Transfer via Radiant Energy
      • 9.10 Energy Changes With Changes of Phase
    • Chapter 10: Electricity
      • 10.1 Electric Charge Is a Basic Characteristic of Matter
      • 10.2 Coulomb’s Law—The Force Between Charged Particles
      • 10.3 Charge Polarization
      • 10.4 Electric Current—The Flow of Electric Charge
      • 10.5 An Electric Current Is Produced by Electrical Pressure—Voltage
      • 10.6 Electrical Resistance
      • 10.7 Ohm’s Law—The Relationship Among Current, Voltage, and Resistance
      • 10.8 Electric Shock
      • 10.9 Direct Current and Alternating Current
      • 10.10 Electric Power—The Rate of Doing Work
      • 10.11 Electric Circuits—Series and Parallel
    • Chapter 11: Magnetism
      • 11.1 Magnetic Poles—Attraction and Repulsion
      • 11.2 Magnetic Fields—Regions of Magnetic Influence
      • 11.3 Magnetic Domains—Clusters of Aligned Atoms
      • 11.4 The Interaction Between Electric Currents and Magnetic Fields
      • 11.5 Magnetic Forces Are Exerted on Moving Charges
      • 11.6 Electromagnetic Induction—How Voltage Is Created
      • 11.7 Generators and Alternating Current
      • 11.8 Power Production—A Technological Extension of Electromagnetic Induction
      • 11.9 The Induction of Fields—Both Electric and Magnetic
    • Chapter 12: Waves and Sound
      • 12.1 Special Wiggles—Vibrations and Waves
      • 12.2 Wave Motion—Transporting Energy
      • 12.3 Two Types of Waves—Transverse and Longitudinal
      • 12.4 Sound Travels in Longitudinal Waves
      • 12.5 Sound Can Be Reflected
      • 12.6 Sound Can Be Refracted
      • 12.7 Forced Vibrations and Natural Frequency
      • 12.8 Resonance and Sympathetic Vibrations
      • 12.9 Interference—The Addition and Subtraction of Waves
      • 12.10 The Doppler Effect—Changes in Frequency Due to Motion
      • 12.11 Wave Barriers and Bow Waves
      • 12.12 Shock Waves and the Sonic Boom
    • Chapter 13: Light and Color
      • 13.1 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
      • 13.2 Why Materials Are Either Transparent or Opaque
      • 13.3 Reflection of Light
      • 13.4 Refraction—The Bending of Light Due to Changing Speed
      • 13.5 Illusions and Mirages Are Caused by Atmospheric Refraction
      • 13.6 Color Science
      • 13.7 Mixing Colored Lights
      • 13.8 Mixing Colored Pigments
      • 13.9 Why the Sky Is Blue
      • 13.10 Why Sunsets Are Red
      • 13.11 Why Clouds Are White
    • Chapter 14: Properties of Light
      • 14.1 Light Dispersion and Rainbows
      • 14.2 Lenses
      • 14.3 Image Formation by a Lens
      • 14.4 Diffraction—The Spreading of Light
      • 14.5 Interference—Constructive and Destructive
      • 14.6 Interference Colors by Reflection from Thin Films
      • 14.7 Polarization—Evidence for the Transverse Wave Nature of Light
      • 14.8 Wave-Particle Duality—Two Sides of the Same Coin
    • Chapter 15: The Atom
      • 15.1 Discovering the Invisible Atom
      • 15.2 Elements and the Periodic Table
      • 15.3 The Atomic Nucleus Consists of Protons and Neutrons
      • 15.4 Isotopes and Atomic Mass
      • 15.5 Electron Shells—Regions About the Nucleus Where Electrons Are Located
    • Chapter 16: Nuclear Physics
      • 16.1 Radioactivity—The Disintegration of the Atomic Nucleus
      • 16.2 Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Rays
      • 16.3 Environmental Radiation
      • 16.4 Transmutation of Elements—Changing Identities
      • 16.5 Half-Life Is a Measure of Radioactive Decay Rate
      • 16.6 Isotopic Dating Measures the Ages of Materials
      • 16.7 Nuclear Fission’The breaking Apart of Atomoic Nuclei
      • 16.8 The Mass-Energy Relationship: E = mc2
      • 16.9 Nuclear Fusion—The Combining of Atomic Nuclei
    • Chapter 17: Elements of Chemistry
      • 17.1 Chemistry is Known as the Central Science
      • 17.2 The Submicroscopic World is Super-Small
      • 17.3 The Phase of Matter Can Change
      • 17.4 Matter Has Physical and Chemical Properties
      • 17.5 Determining Physical and Chemical Changes Can Be Difficult
      • 17.6 The Periodic Table Helps Us to Understand the Elements
      • 17.7 Elements Can Combine to From Compounds
      • 17.8 There Is a System for Naming Compounds
    • Chapter 18: Bonds and Molecular Attractions
      • 18.1 Electron-Dot Structures Help Us to Understand Bonding
      • 18.2 Atoms Can Lose or Gain Atoms to Become Ions
      • 18.3 Ionic Bonds Result from a Transfer of Electrons
      • 18.4 Metal Atoms Bond by Losing Their Electrons
      • 18.5 Covalent Bonds Result from a Sharing of Electrons
      • 18.6 Electrons May Be Shared Unevenly in a Covalent Bond
      • 18.7 Electrons Are Shared Unevenly in a Polar Molecule
      • 18.8 Molecules Are Attractive
    • Chapter 19: How Chemicals Mix
      • 19.1 Most Materials Are Mixtures
      • 19.2 The Chemist’s Classification of Matter
      • 19.3 A Solution Is a Single-Phase Homogenous Mixture
      • 19.4 Concentration Is Given as Moles per Liter
      • 19.5 Solubility Measures How Well a Solute Dissolves
      • 19.6 Soap Works by Being Both Polar and Nonpolar
      • 19.7 Purifying the Water We Drink
    • Chapter 20: How Chemicals React
      • 20.1 Chemical Reactions Are Represented by Chemical Equations
      • 20.2 Reaction Rates Can Be Slow or Fast
      • 20.3 Catalysts Speed Up Chemical Reactions
      • 20.4 Chemical Reactions Can Be Either Exothermic or Endothermic
      • 20.5 Chemical Reactions Are Driven By Entropy
    • Chapter 21: Acids/Bases and Redox
      • 21.1 Acids Donate and Bases Accept
      • 21.2 Some Acids and Bases Are Stronger than Others
      • 21.3 Solutions Can Be Acidic, Basic, or Neutrals
      • 21.4 Rainwater Is Acidic and Ocean Water Is Basic
      • 21.5 Oxidation Is the Loss of Electrons and Reduction Is the Gain of Electrons
      • 21.6 The Energy of Flowing Electrons Can Be Harnessed
      • 21.7 Oxygen Is Responsible for Corrosion and Combustion
      • 21.8 Hydrogen Sulfide Can Induce Suspended Animation
    • Chapter 22: Organic Compounds
      • 22.1 Hydrocarbons
      • 22.2 Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
      • 22.3 Functional Groups
      • 22.4 Alcohols and Ethers
      • 22.5 Amines and Alkaloids
      • 22.6 Carbonyl Compounds
      • 22.7 Polymers
    • Chapter 23: The Nutrients of Life
      • 23.1 Biomolecules Are Molecules Produced and Used by Organisms
      • 23.2 Carbohydrates Give Structure and Energy
      • 23.3 Lipids Are Insoluble in Water
      • 23.4 Proteins Are Polymerns of Amino Acids
      • 23.5 Nucleic Acids Code for Proteins
      • 23.6 Vitamins Are Organic, Minerals Are Inorganic
      • 23.7 Metabolism Is the Cylcing of Biomolecules Through the Body
      • 23.8 The Food Pyramid Summarizes a Healthful Diet
    • Chapter 24: Medicinal Chemistry
      • 24.1 Medicines Are Drugs That Benefit the Body
      • 24.2 The Lock-and-Key Model Guides Chemists in Creating New Medicines
      • 24.3 Chemotherapy Cures the Host by Killing the Disease
      • 24.4 The Nervous System Is a Network of Neurons
      • 24.5 Psychoactive Drugs Alter the Mind or Behavior
      • 24.6 Pain Relievers Inhibit the Transmission or Perception of Pain
    • Chapter 25: Rocks and Minerals
      • 25.1 Our Rocky Planet
      • 25.10 The Rock Cycle
      • 25.2 What is a Mineral?
      • 25.3 Mineral Properties
      • 25.4 Classification of Rock-Forming Minerals
      • 25.5 The Formation of Minerals and Rock
      • 25.6 Rocks Are Divided Into Three Main Groups
      • 25.7 Igneous Rocks Form When Magma Cools
      • 25.8 Sedimentary Rocks Blanket Most of Earth’s Surface
      • 25.9 Metamorphic Rocks Are Changed Rocks
    • Chapter 26: The Architecture of Earth
      • 26.1 Earthquakes Make Seismic Waves
      • 26.2 Seismic Waves Reveal Earth’s Internal Layers
      • 26.3 Internal Motion Deforms Earth’s Surface
    • Chapter 27: Plate Tectonics
      • 27.1 Continental Drift—An Idea Before its Time
      • 27.2 Search For the Mechanism to Support Continental Drift
      • 27.3 The Theory of Plate Tectonics
      • 27.4 Three Types of Plate Boundaries
      • 27.5 The Theory That Explains Much
    • Chapter 28: Shaping Earth's Surface
      • 28.1 The Hydrologic Cycle
      • 28.2 Groundwater—Water Below the Surface
      • 28.3 The Work of Groundwater
      • 28.4 Streams and Rivers—Water at Earth’s Surface
      • 28.5 The Work of Surface Water
      • 28.6 Glaciers and Glaciation—Earth’s Frozen Water
      • 28.7 The Work of Glaciers
      • 28.8 The Work of Air
    • Chapter 29: A Brief History of Earth
      • 29.1 Relative Dating—The Placement of Rocks in Order
      • 29.2 Radiometric Dating Reveals the Actual Time of Rock Formation
      • 29.3 Geologic Time
      • 29.4 Precambrian Time—A Time of Hidden Life
      • 29.5 Paleozoic Era—A Time of Life Diversification
      • 29.6 The Mesozoic Era—The Age of Reptiles
      • 29.7 The Cenozoic Era—The Age of Mammals
      • 29.8 Earth History in a Capsule
    • Chapter 30: The Oceans and Atmosphere
      • 30.1 Earth’s Atmosphere and Oceans
      • 30.2 Components of Earth’s Atmosphere
      • 30.3 Solar Energy
      • 30.4 Driving Forces of Air Motion
      • 30.5 Global Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
      • 30.6 Components of Earth’s Oceans
      • 30.7 Oceanic Circulation
    • Chapter 31: Weather
      • 31.1 Water in the Atmosphere
      • 31.2 Weather Variables
      • 31.3 There Are Many Different Clouds
      • 31.4 Air Masses, Fronts, and Storms
      • 31.5 Weather Can Be Violent
      • 31.6 The Weather—Number One Topic of Conversatio
    • Chapter 32: The Solar System
      • 32.1 The Solar System Is Mostly Empty Space
      • 32.2 Solar Systems Form from Nebula
      • 32.3 The Sun Is Our Prime Source of Energy
      • 32.4 The Inner Planets Are Rocky
      • 32.5 The Outer Planets Are Gaseous
      • 32.6 Earth’s Moon
      • 32.7 Failed Planet Formation
    • Chapter 33: Stars
      • 33.1 Observing the Night Sky
      • 33.2 Stars have Different Brightness and Color
      • 33.3 The Hertzburg-Russell Diagram Describes Stars
      • 33.4 The Life Cylce of Stars
      • 33.5 Novae and Supernovae Are Stellar Explosions
      • 33.6 Supergiant Stars Collapse into Black Holes
    • Chapter 34: Galaxies and the Cosmos
      • 34.1 A Galaxy Is an Island of Stars
      • 34.2 Elliptical, Spiral, and Irregular Galaxies
      • 34.3 Active Galaxies Emit Huge Amounts of Energy
      • 34.4 Galaxies Form Clusters and Superclusters
      • 34.5 Galaxies Are Moving Away from One Another
      • 34.6 Further Evidence for the Big Bang
      • 34.7 Dark Matter is Invisible
      • 34.8 Dark Energy Opposes Gravity

    College Curriculum

    • All About This Site!!
    • Class Activities!!!
    • Hybrid Courses
    • Expensive Textbooks

    College Prep

    • How To Study
    • Home Schools
    • High Schools

    More Help

    • Instructor Support
    • Instructor FAQ
    • Student Testimonies
    • Quick Tour (60 seconds)

    Contact Us

    • Student FAQ
    • Support & Requests

    © 2025 Conceptual Academy, PBC

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Accessibility