Intro to Dark Matter

Part I of a two-lecture series on dark matter.

This was a talk I gave to a group of high school students in a science summer camp at Temple University.

The first part is very basic, discussing the difference between mass and weight. Then a technique for measuring masses using orbits is described, followed by a discussion of rotation curves. A brief history of dark matter is provided. Finally, a discussion of how “dark” matter cannot interact with light.