The Thinking Experiment

Physics Simulations

Interactive tools for teaching and learning

Mechanics Waves Electromagnetism Optics Astrophysics Data Analysis

Mechanics

Motion, forces, and systems.

Rocket Sled Simulation

Kinematics

Model one-dimensional rocket sled motion with adjustable thrust and force effects.

Atwood Machine

Mechanics

Explore force, acceleration, and direction changes in a classic two-mass pulley system.

Half Atwood Machine

Mechanics

Investigate tension and acceleration in a mass-hanging, mass-on-table system.

Half Atwood Inquiry Lab

Mechanics

Discovery-first half Atwood lab with friction toggles and system-level reasoning prompts.

Types of Collisions Inquiry Lab

Mechanics

Analyze inelastic, elastic, and explosion scenarios with live momentum and kinetic-energy readouts.

Hooke's Law Simulation

Mechanics

Interactive Hooke's Law lab. Hang masses from a spring, measure stretch, graph Force vs. Stretch, and discover the spring constant.

Work & Energy Concepts

Energy

Explore 5 interactive scenarios including Free Fall, Ramp Friction, and Spring Launch. Analyze forces and energy transformations with live bar charts and the 5-step problem-solving method.

Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Energy

Drop an object through two photogates, measure velocity at six heights, and verify that PE + KE remains constant throughout free fall. Includes Teacher Demo mode with live bar and line graphs.

Understanding Energy: Conservation & Work

Energy

Interactive "Energy Token" activity. Explore the Bathtub model of conservation and discover how Work changes a system's total energy. Built for 11th grade.

Newton's Third Law Stations 1 & 4

Mechanics

Run collision and pushing-force scenarios with Vernier-style force graphs, comparison metrics, and a force-diagram builder.

Elevator Ride

Mechanics

Connect acceleration to apparent weight and net force in a realistic elevator ride context.

Waves

Interference, resonance, and wave behavior.

Electromagnetism

Charge interactions and induction phenomena.

Electrostatics: Conduction & Induction

Electricity

Track electron motion and compare charge transfer by conduction versus induction.

Coulomb's Law Inquiry Lab

Electricity

Explore charge interactions, superposition, vector components, and equilibrium setups with inquiry prompts and teacher-ready scenarios.

Electric Fields & Potentials Lab

Electricity

Map equipotential lines and trace electric fields manually or with auto-drawing tools to discover potential gradients in various point charge configurations.

Optics

Geometric optics and image formation.

Rainbow and Prism Refraction Lab

Optics

Compare prism and raindrop dispersion with guided observer-view explanation for why red appears on top/outer edge in a primary rainbow.

Image Location in Mirrors and Lenses Lab

Optics

Construct principal rays for lenses and mirrors, then predict and verify image location interactively.

Physics Spectrometer

Optics

Analyze light spectra and measure wavelengths using a virtual spectrometer setup.

Astrophysics

Stellar life cycle and outcomes.

Stellar Evolution

Astrophysics

Follow stellar pathways from main sequence to endpoints based on mass.

Hydrogen Atom Simulation

Astrophysics

Visualize electron probability densities and wavefunctions for the Hydrogen atom.

Data Analysis

Curve fitting and interpretation tools.

Tangent Line Analysis

Analysis

Fit a parabola to data and inspect tangent behavior to connect slope and instantaneous rate.