Linear Motion

Wind Up Toy Car

 Take time to familiarize yourself with the features of the physlet.

Note that if you place the cursor on the white field with the grid, the cursor becomes and +. By pressing the left mouse key, the corrdinates for the + are displayed in a yellow box in the lower left corner. This is a common feature found in many physlets.

AWESOME 1D Physlets


This collection of physlets demonstrates 4 different situations involving linear motion and also plots the data for position, velocity and acceleration vs. time. It is worth your time to study each one and be familiar with what each plot looks like for each type of motion!!

Momentum

Conservation of Momentum in 1D

 This physlet is the virtual equivalent of the air track used to demonstrate conservation of momentum in class. Note when the motion of the center of mass of the system is constant and when it changes. Recall the meaning of a closed system.

Conservation of Momentum in 2D

 Take time to read the instructions. Determine how to change the collision from elastic to completely inelastic.
Can you identify what the two sets of vectors represent during the collision? Click the right mouse button to view the second set of vectors. Read the notes at the bottom of the page for assistance.

Conservation of Momentum in 2D

This physlet has some great features!!
1. Creating an angle between the plane of motion and the horizontal - like the slant of a pinball machine. 2. Giving the colliding objects magnetic properties. How would you describe the properties exibited in terms of bar magnets?

Simple Harmonic Motion

Simple Harmonic Motion and Uniform Circular Motion

 This physlet makes it possible to see the correlation between SHM and CM.

Pendulum 1

 This is a pendulum physlet that allows you to change its length, angle of swing as well as the mass of the bob. Take time to read the instructions for valuable information.

Pendulum 2

This is a great one that will display the elongation, velocity, acceleration, force and ENERGY!! Note the Total Energy as it oscillates http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/pendulum.htm

Pendulum vs Mass-Spring System

Great Physlet to see what factors effect the period of each!!! Be sure not to over look the acceleration due to gravity! http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=44

Damping

Over, under and critical

Electricity

Coulomb Force

Check out this cool physlet!!! Involves shoot a charge into a field where you can place like and opposite charges. Similar to bumper pool!! Can you arrange the charges to capture the projected charge?
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=16

Thermodynamics

Engines

Take a look at how these actual engines operate. Keep in mind that these are all complex version of the basic heat engine.
http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html

Waves

Super Position Principle

Standing Wave 1

Light and Optics

Convex and Concave Mirrors

Reflection, Refraction and Total Internal Reflection

Convex and Concave Lenses

Look for the physlet to pop up in a separate window.

Thick Lens - Light Bending Through a Lens

Refraction and Reflection of a Prism