Interactive physics labs: motion, forces and energy, oscillations and waves
Motion, forces and waves you can set running and measure.
3 suites · 11 chapters
Motion
Straight-line motion on a v–t graph, projectiles, circles and relative velocity: set things moving and read the numbers off the board.
Uniform acceleration on a v–t graph
How do you read acceleration and distance off a velocity–time graph?
Slope = acceleration · Area = displacement · Kinematic equations
Open labProjectile motion: two motions at once
Why does a thrown ball follow a parabola, and which angle throws farthest?
Independent components · Horizontal launch · Range and angle
Open labUniform circular motion and centripetal acceleration
If the speed never changes, why does a body moving in a circle accelerate?
Angular speed · v = ωr · Centripetal acceleration
Open labRelative motion: steering a boat across a river
Which way should a boat point to cross fastest, and which way to land straight across?
Adding velocities · Shortest time · Shortest path
Open labForces & energy
Resolve forces on a slope, time a spring and a pendulum, and follow energy as it changes form: every force and every joule drawn on the board.
Forces on an inclined plane: splitting gravity along and across the slope
How steep can a slope get before a block starts to slide, and how fast does it go then?
Resolving forces · Normal force · Static vs kinetic friction
Open labMass on a spring: simple harmonic motion and its period
What sets how fast a mass on a spring bounces, and why does pulling it further not change that?
Restoring force F = −kx · Simple harmonic motion · Period and frequency
Open labThe simple pendulum: what sets its period
Does a heavier bob or a wider swing make a pendulum slower? Only the length does, nearly.
Restoring force mg sin θ · Small-angle approximation · T = 2π√(L/g)
Open labWork and energy: a slide, a rough floor, and where the energy goes
How fast is a block at the bottom of a slide, and how far does it get on a rough floor?
Kinetic and potential energy · Work–energy theorem · Conservation of mechanical energy
Open labWaves
Watch a wave travel while the medium stays put, two waves add into an interference pattern, and a moving source squeeze its own sound.
Travelling waves: what moves along, and what only bobs up and down
When a wave runs along a rope, why does each bit of rope only move up and down?
Wavelength, frequency, period · v = λf · Particles oscillate in place
Open labInterference of two waves: path difference decides
Two speakers play the same note. Why is it loud in some spots and almost silent in others?
Superposition · Path difference · Constructive and destructive
Open labThe Doppler effect: why a passing siren drops in pitch
Why does an ambulance sound higher coming toward you and lower going away?
Moving source · Observed frequency · Wavelength compression
Open lab