Five lesson starters provide some amusing introductions to the subject of forces: pushes, pulls and friction. At the end of each clip a question is posed. Clip 1 shows the pushing and pulling forces used on a canoeing trip. Clip 2 shows some dramatic archive footage of a demolition ball. We then see the professor dodging what looks like a similar heavy ball only to discover it is a 2D circle. Clip 3 takes us to a professional chef's kitchen where we see the forces involved in making pizza dough. Clip 4 is a comic tug-of-war contest between a big guy wearing just his slippery socks who is pulling against two smaller guys both wearing grippy trainers. Who will win the cream cakes? In Clip 5 the professor conducts an experiment making parachutes for eggs. What is the best way for an egg to parachute from a very high ladder without getting broken?

Video Series: Lesson Starters
Release Date 2009