In this video Paul Andersen explains how the work is a product of the external force applied to an object or system and the distance it moves. Power is a measure of the amount of work done per unit time. The work can be calculated as...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how heat is the movement of energy from an object with a higher temperature to an object with lower temperature. Heat transfer can occur through conduction, convection, and radiation.

In this video Paul Andersen explains how matter, like light, can be treated as both a particle and a wave. Louis de Broglie proposed that matter could act as a wave and described the wavelength of matter as a function of Planck's...

In this video Paul Andersen compares and contrasts transverse and longitudinal waves. Waves carry energy through oscillations. In transverse waves the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of the wave and in longitudinal they...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how contact forces result from interatomic forces. The following forces are explained at the interatomic level: normal force, applied force, friction force, tension force, spring force, and buoyant...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how objects in contact with varying temperatures will eventually reach thermal equilibrium with equal temperatures. The amount of thermal energy transferred is related to the mass and temperature of...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how simple harmonic motion occurs when a restoring force returns an object toward equilibrium. The two types of harmonic motion studied in AP Physics are the mass spring oscillator and the simple...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how the resistivity of a material opposes the flow of charge. Conductors (like metal) will have a low resistivity and insulators will have a high resistivity. Semiconductors will have a moderate...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how electric circuits contain different elements which can be connected in series or in parallel. The following four elements are explained in detail; emf, resistor, capacitor, and switch. The...

New ReviewIn this lesson, we explore the electric potential difference between two locations in the electric field of a point charge — one of the most essential concepts in AP Physics and introductory electrostatics. Using a positive point charge...

New ReviewLearn Bernoulli’s Principle with a straw and a ping pong ball. A fun and simple physics demo to see pressure differences in action!

New ReviewIn this lesson, we compare electric potential energy and gravitational potential energy for a proton moving between parallel plates in a uniform electric field, and we plug in realistic values to show just how small the gravitational...

New ReviewLearn how fluid speed changes in a narrowing pipe using laminar flow, the continuity equation, and a clear animation. Perfect for physics students!

New ReviewThis lesson explains the difference between the ideal electric field assumed in most physics problems and the real, nonideal electric field that forms between two finite, conducting parallel plates. Using clear illustrations, I break...

New ReviewFriction always acts to oppose sliding motion, even when it makes an object speed up. Learn how this works with a clear and simple example using a sliding disk and a moving block.

New ReviewIn this Flipping Physics video, I share a simple teaching habit that helped me continually improve my physics assignments over nearly 25 years in the classroom. By updating labs and worksheets immediately after grading them, I kept track...

New ReviewIn this video, we build directly on electric potential energy and electric potential to develop a clear, conceptual understanding of electric potential difference. Using parallel plates and a uniform electric field, you will see where...

New ReviewIn this lesson we derive the change in gravitational potential energy for an object moving in a uniform gravitational field and then use that result as a direct analogy to determine the change in electric potential energy for a charge...

New ReviewNewton’s Third Law forces are always equal and opposite, but they act on different objects. Learn how to identify these force pairs and draw the correct free-body diagrams.

New ReviewA beach ball floating in mid-air, held up by nothing but a leaf blower. It looks like a magic trick — but it's actually Bernoulli's Principle at work. Faster-moving air has lower pressure, so the airstream creates a pressure difference...

In this lesson we explore why the electric field between two ideal parallel plates is uniform and always directed from the positive plate to the negative plate. Using Coulomb’s law, symmetry arguments, and clear step by step reasoning,...

In this video, I walk you through my general suggestions for how to solve physics problems — the same step-by-step process I teach my students to help them succeed in AP Physics and beyond. We cover everything from setting up your...

After 25 years of teaching physics, I realized I had been wrong about when you can use the equation Work due to nonconservative forces = Change in mechanical energy. In this video, I break down my mistake, show the correct way to think...

Electric potential can feel abstract, but it doesn’t have to be! In this Flipping Physics lesson, Mr. P and the gang use gravitational potential energy to make sense of electric potential and electric potential energy. You’ll see how...