The Mechanical UniverseSeason 11985 · 52 episodesEpisodes1IntroductionThis preview introduces revolutionary ideas and heroes from Copernicus to Newton, and links the physics of the heavens and the earth.2The Law of Falling BodiesGalileo's imaginative experiments proved that all bodies fall with the same constant acceleration.3DerivativesThe function of mathematics in physical science and the derivative as a practical tool.4InertiaGalileo risks his favored status to answer the questions of the universe with his law of inertia.5VectorsPhysics must explain not only why and how much, but also where and which way.6Newton's LawsNewton lays down the laws of force, mass, and acceleration.7IntegrationNewton and Leibniz arrive at the conclusion that differentiation and integration are inverse processes.8The Apple and the MoonThe first real steps toward space travel are made as Newton discovers that gravity describes the force between any two particles in the universe.9Moving in CirclesA look at the Platonic theory of uniform circular motion.10Fundamental ForcesAll physical phenomena of nature are explained by four forces: two nuclear forces, gravity, and electricity.11Gravity, Electricity, MagnetismShedding light on the mathematical form of the gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces.12The Millikan ExperimentA dramatic recreation of Millikan's classic oil-drop experiment to determine the charge of a single electron.13Conservation of EnergyAccording to one of the major laws of physics, energy is neither created nor destroyed.14Potential EnergyPotential energy provides a powerful model for understanding why the world has worked the same way since the beginning of time.15Conservation of MomentumWhat keeps the universe ticking away until the end of time?16Harmonic MotionThe music and mathematics of periodic motion.17ResonanceWhy a swaying bridge collapses with a high wind, and why a wine glass shatters with a higher octave.18WavesWith an analysis of simple harmonic motion and a stroke of genius, Newton extended mechanics to the propagation of sound.19Angular MomentumAn old momentum with a new twist.20Torques and GyroscopesFrom spinning tops to the precession of the equinoxes.21Kepler's Three LawsThe discovery of elliptical orbits helps describe the motion of heavenly bodies with unprecedented accuracy.22The Kepler ProblemThe deduction of Kepler's laws from Newton's universal law of gravitation is one of the crowning achievements of Western thought.23Energy and EccentricityThe precise orbit of a heavenly body — a planet, asteroid, or comet — is fixed by the laws of conservation of energy and angular momentum.24Navigating in SpaceVoyages to other planets use the same laws that guide planets around the solar system.25Kepler to EinsteinFrom Kepler's laws and the theory of tides, to Einstein's general theory of relativity, into black holes, and beyond.26Harmony of the SpheresA last lingering look back at mechanics to see new connections between old discoveries.27Beyond the Mechanical UniverseThe world of electricity and magnetism, and 20th-century discoveries of relativity and quantum mechanics.28Static ElectricityEighteenth-century electricians knew how to spark the interest of an audience with the principles of static electricity.29The Electric FieldFaraday's vision of lines of constant force in space laid the foundation for the modern force field theory.30Potential and CapacitanceFranklin proposes a successful theory of the Leyden jar and invents the parallel plate capacitor.31Voltage, Energy, and ForceWhen is electricity dangerous or benign, spectacular or useful?32The Electric BatteryVolta invents the electric battery using the internal properties of different metals.33Electric CircuitsThe work of Wheatstone, Ohm, and Kirchhoff leads to the design and analysis of how current flows.34MagnetismGilbert discovered that the earth behaves like a giant magnet. Modern scientists have learned even more.35The Magnetic FieldThe law of Biot and Sarvart, the force between electric currents, and Ampère's law.36Vector Fields and HydrodynamicsForce fields have definite properties of their own suitable for scientific study.37Electromagnetic InductionThe discovery of electromagnetic induction in 1831 creates an important technological breakthrough in the generation of electric power.38Alternating CurrentElectromagnetic induction makes it easy to generate alternating current while transformers make it practical to distribute it over long distances.39Maxwell's EquationsMaxwell discovers that displacement current produces electromagnetic waves or light.40OpticsMany properties of light are properties of waves, including reflection, refraction, and diffraction.41The Michelson-Morley ExperimentIn 1887, an exquisitely designed measurement of the earth's motion through the ether results in the most brilliant failure in scientific history.42The Lorentz TransformationIf 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.43Velocity and TimeEinstein is motivated to perfect the central ideas of physics, resulting in a new understanding of the meaning of space and time.44Mass, Momentum, EnergyThe new meaning of space and time make it necessary to formulate a new mechanics.45Temperature and Gas LawsHot discoveries about the behavior of gases make the connection between temperature and heat.46Engine of NatureThe Carnot engine, part one, beginning with simple steam engines.47EntropyThe Carnot engine, part two, with profound implications for the behavior of matter and the flow of time through the universe.48Low TemperaturesWith the quest for low temperatures came the discovery that all elements can exist in each of the basic states of matter.49The AtomA history of the atom, from the ancient Greeks to the early 20th century, and a new challenge for the world of physics.50Particles and WavesEvidence that light can sometimes act like a particle leads to quantum mechanics, the new physics.51From Atoms to QuarksElectron 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.52The Quantum Mechanical UniverseA last look at where we've been and a peek into the future.
