audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
All the Fun of the Fair
There is nothing quite like the thrill of a ride at the fair. But what is it that creates the thrills - making people actually enjoy the experience of being thrown around? The tracks in this Collection look at the circular motion of 4 fairground rides, and focuses in on 'The Hellraiser', mathematically modelling the forces at work. This material...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
The Fourier Series
Fourier analysis encompasses a vast spectrum of mathematics which is often deemed confusing and sometimes frightening to those studying it. The tracks in this album aim to de-mystify the ideas behind the Fourier series and illustrate some of the numerous applications that exist, from telephony to stocking supermarket shelves. This material makes...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Grad, Div and Curl
Have you ever wondered what causes cyclones, and why it's always calm in the centre of the storm? Well, vector calculus holds the key. The tracks on this album introduce you to the scalar and vector fields of gradient, divergence and curl. This material makes up part of the course MST209, Mathematical methods and models.
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Rotating Bodies and Angular Momentum
How does an ice skater rotate so effortlessly on ice? What are the forces at play? How do they keep spinning? And more importantly, how do they stop? The tracks on this album use a variety of sports ranging from Ice Skating to the Highland Games to illustrate the nature of rotating bodies, looking in turn at torques, angular momentum and the ...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Soaring Achievements
How does an aircraft without an engine stay up in the air? What factors affect a glider's performance and how far it can travel? Scientific experiments with gliders have been carried out since the 1930’s, particularly with relation to design. Mathematical modelling is used to make and refine gliders that perform as well as possible. The 8 video ...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Soaring by Design
How do you go about designing an aircraft that has no engine? What forces enable a glider to become airborne and quickly reach high altitudes quickly? The tracks in this album look at the aerodynamics of gliders, ask questions relating to the 'Speed to Fly', and explores the consequences of kinetic and potential energy change, providing a useful...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Modelling pollution
The cleaning up of the North American Great Lakes is one of the great success stories in pollution control. Modelling gives scientists the tools to forecast outcomes in a complex environment: how will the pollution accumulate? what will happen if pollution is stopped all together? The two video tracks on this album demonstrate how modelling ...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Getting your Bearings
Learn how an ordinance survey map is produced before following three ramblers on a field trip in the Peak District. This material makes up part of the course MU120 Open mathematics.
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Maths as others see it
Visiting a hospital you'd expect to find doctors and nurses, but what about mathematicians? This album illustrates how mathematics is used throughout the Whittington Hospital in London, as well as in every day life. This material forms part of the course MU120 Open mathematics.
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Open Mathematics
The Severn Valley Railway is one of Britain's best known steam railways. Over much of its length, there is only a single track, with passing points at various points along the line. As with any commercial rail operation, the timetable needs to meet passenger needs and health and safety requirements. The five video tracks in this album follow ...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Showing the way they went
Hot air balloon rides have become a popular celebration treat. But do they really just drift with the wind? Investigate the meticulous planning needed for round-the-world flights. Learn how journeys are monitored and measured, and discover how pilots merge mathematics and geography while high above the ground. This material forms part of the ...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Molecular Science: Spectrometry
Chemistry is of enormous importance in everyday life: almost everything that exists, and all that we see, make and eat is composed of molecules. The unravelling of molecular structure is a key activity of chemists. In these three video tracks, Dr Mike Bullivant looks briefly at three of the spectroscopic techniques that are used to determine the...