MECHANICS

LOWER SCHOOL

Links last checked 17th October 2009

An excellent Skate Park (which is roller-coasters to you)

This applet shows an image of a sky diver, who then opens a parachute. It simultaneously displays the two forces on her, one constant, one changing, and the effect on the a = F/m calculation.  {To freeze it, try clicking and holding somewhere in the images}

This is another good terminal velocity applet, which works in separate pages to show the forces. Nicely done.

For terminal velocity, this applet shows two objects, oriented to have different amounts of air resistance. It plots the v/t graph as they fall.

Terminal velocity nicely shown.  You can change the density of the medium, the mass of the ball, or its radius, and the applet plots x, v, and a, simultaneously.  (It's a Gizmo, which you can only watch once...)

The Moving Man, with displacement, velocity, and acceleration, graphs.

This is a nice GIZMO F=ma applet with a fan-cart, graphs of its motion, different masses and forces.

This is a nice applet for reaction time for braking when the lights change.

Action and reaction, with two hands squashing or stretching a spring. Nicely done!

UPPER SCHOOL

Statics: A hinged bar - trap-door - with a movable weight hanging on it. You can move the weight and see how the force arrows showing tension and reaction at the hinge change - and how the three forces always aim to cross at a single point.

This shows a block on a slope, in equilibrium, with all the forces on it.  You can change its weight, and see what happens to the other forces.  Then you can exert a force on the top right corner of the block, and see what this does to the forces (change its size and its direction).

Parallelogram of forces with pulleys you can pull to the sides. You could use this as a model to compare with real results, since it gives the sizes and the angles.

This is a simple applet for combining two vectors, showing how they are linked to their resultant.  As you change the vectors, the resultant changes.  This one combines up to 5 vectors, and moves them around nicely to show how you get the resultant. Vector addition, with three vectors; two of which combine to give the third.  I like being able to show the components, and how they add up.

This is Mr. Fendt's beautiful projectile simulation. Essential viewing.

This is a projectile simulation with a useful dotted path.

The second applet of this pair shows a ball rolling down a plane, and plots its displacement and velocity. Once the ball has got to the bottom, by moving the cursor over the graph you can show how the average speed for each time interval has been calculated. Drag the top of the slope up or down. The trail of dots is like a ticker-timer.

Terminal velocity nicely shown.  You can change the density of the medium, the mass of the ball, or its radius, and the applet plots x, v, and a, simultaneously.  

For the L6, this has a displacement-time and a velocity-time graph side by side; you can change the initial displacement, initial velocity, and acceleration. It isn't animated, but it repays close attention.

This applet shows an image of a sky diver, who then opens a parachute. It simultaneously displays the two forces on her, one constant, one changing, and the effect on the a = F/m calculation.  {To freeze it, try clicking and holding somewhere in the images}

I like this model carousel with the balls being swung out as it goes round. You can see the force diagram for each ball, which goes round with it.

SHM with all the graphs for a pendulum, and for a mass on a spring.

A mass on a spring with a x/t graph.  You can change m, k, and A, and see what happens.  The graphs superimpose.  Nice and simple.

Forced Oscillations (Resonance) is very good; you can change the forcing frequency at the top of a spring, and see the effect while the position of the forcing frequency on the resonance curve is indicated.

Applied Physics Optional Topic: A serious applet about torque, Moment of Inertia, and so on...