The way large numbers of particles come together and start to behave like a continuum, is quite well represented by looking at simulations of a bunch of spheres

The way large numbers of particles come together and start to behave like a continuum, is quite well represented by looking at simulations of a bunch of spheres with forces applied. For example the phenomenon of surface tension, which is usually taught as "surface energy" in a continuum way, but you can also view it "bottom-up" by looking at attractive forces between the individual particles. (Video by Eugene Khutoryansky, who has a large number of these sorts of animations): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKy6137F7OY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKy6137F7OY "Surface tension as you've never seen it" Similarly, statistical mechanics is the "bottom-up" view and thermodynamics is the "top-down" view. EDIT: perhaps more relevant ones: Molecular Temperature & Degrees of Freedom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqGtji3ZjoI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqGtji3ZjoI Brownian motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7VtOa8pHno https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7VtOa8pHno