Resources for learning science

January 4, 2025 9:25 PM

Can you recommend resources for learning science at a final year of high school and then first year university level? I would like to learn some physics, biology and chemistry. I like using a mix of resources (books, videos, eLearns) Thanks!
posted by kinddieserzeit to Education (6 answers total)

OpenStax is a publisher of open educational resources that are freely distributed. I use their Biology 2nd Edition as the main textbook in my introduction to biology for majors university classes.

Amoeba Sisters is a favorite YouTube channel of many biology students
posted by hydropsyche at 9:30 PM on January 4 [2 favorites]

Khan Academy.
posted by Rhedyn at 4:32 AM on January 5

Science courses come with lab work. I wouldn''t say you have to do every experiment in the book, but you should do some. It's necessary for making the science a reality for you, not just something some guy said. Demonstrating that G, the value of gravity, is not exactly 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²) at your house is enlightening, both that it varies from place to place, but that you, yourself, can actually measure it pretty easily. By the way, science uses the metric system.

Chemistry sets are not what they used to be. The more dangerous materials have been banned. But the last one I've seen, 30 years ago, came with instructions for various things plus some test tubes, etc.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:01 AM on January 5

Here are some You Tube channels that are great at talking about science concepts in a really effective way:

Chemistry: Three TwentySix This channel presents deep chemistry concepts related to orbitals, chemical bonds and ties these concepts really well to physics. It's not just your run of the mill setting stuff on fire and exploding things.

Physics: Biggest Ideas in the Universe. Sean M Carroll is a Professor of Physics and Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. I have cued up the playlist that are his introductory lectures of physics. He has written a series of recent textbooks on physics that accompany these lectures. He's great at explanations without avoiding the math, but not making the explanation a rote memorization of equations. He's great at explaining why the equations are so effective for predictions. He specializes in teaching General Relativity, and explains why it's important to not try to limit physics to Newtonian paradigms, but try to explain the world with the Quantum Mechanics model.

PBS SpaceTime Great graphics and lucid explanations of Physics by Matt O'Dowd, Professor of Physics a Lehman University. Deep dive into the working of the cosmos and contemporary theories.
posted by effluvia at 7:51 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Huygens Optics Addenda: Here's a Lab Physicist that builds his own contraptions to test physics concepts. He builds a device, explains how he built it, how the test works, and describes the theory behind the test.
posted by effluvia at 7:57 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

I teach physics, and I am a huge proponent of lab and studio* learning, so I agree with SemiSalt about doing some labs. Having said that, though, there are really great simulations out there that I also use. I'll dump a bunch of links here but also highlight my favorites:

Some old-school simulations by Andrew Duffy here. Some of my faves include constant v vs constant a,
what mirror is behind the curtain and what lens is behind the curtain

oPhysics stuff is really well done and can be a gateway drug to the GeoGebra software. Some faves:

• motion graphs
• the ballistic pendulum and its "quiz"
• standing waves on strings and in air columns
• diffraction grating laser lab
• equipotentials visualization and the DC motor

PHET: Some of these are the best out there; others, I don't really like the way they work. Some faves:

• masses and springs and pendula
• bending light and wave interference
• balloons and static electricity, charges and fields, circuits

The Physics Classroom has text, tutorials, etc that are worthwhile, but here I'm focused on sims/activities. Some of these are actually embeds of other sims from other places, so I might have some duplicates in here. I've had good experiences with students doing:

• name that motion and kinematic graphing
• exploding carts and collision carts
• many involving static electricity (since having the charges animated in the sim makes visible what can't be seen in "real life"): aluminum can polarization and name that charge
• equivalent resistance
• mass spectrometer
• double-slit interference & diffraction
• lenses and mirrors

Simbucket: Many of the good ones here are already noted in the Physics Classroom, above. But I haven't already mentioned balloon charging.

the Physics Aviary: Some of these are a little hard to use; I've liked, among others:

• the viewing-spectra-through-gratings sims
• the photoelectric effect once PHET's java-based one was deprecated
• resonance tubes

Kirbyx physics simulations: All good, but I particularly like the mass spectrometer and the ideal gas PV diagram.

Physics interactives at a free particle: no particular favorites here, but lots of good stuff.

(* roughly, a studio-style approach mixes labs and other activities into the "lecture" whenever appropriate)
posted by secretseasons at 12:38 PM on January 5 [4 favorites]