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MHS Library | Physics

Interactive Simulations

Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

Explore physics 

Forces and Motion

pHET Simulation

Sample Learning Goals

  • Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy using kinetic, gravitational potential, and thermal energy.
  • Describe how changing the mass, friction, or gravity affects the skater's energy.
  • Predict position or estimate speed from energy bar graph or pie chart.
  • Calculate speed or height at one position from information about a different position.
  • Describe what happens to the energy in the system when the reference height changes.
  • Design a skate park using the concepts of mechanical energy and energy conservation.

General Physics Websites

The Feynman Lectures

The audio recordings of the Feynman Lectures on Physics (1961-64) are now publicly available.

 

Games

WIRED - A platform based game that requires you to build circuits. Starts very basic and gets more complex as you travel through the game.

gamify