PhET Simulations for Mathematics
PhET Simulations for Mathematics
The Physics Education Technology (PhET) project is an ongoing effort to provide an extensive suite of simulations for teaching and learning subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and earth science. These simulations help students to comprehend concepts through the use of graphics and interactive animations. Teachers can use PhET simulations to create worksheets for re-enforcement of the concepts. PhET simulations are written in Java and HTML5. This helps to run these simulations online or to download them to their local computer. To encourage quantitative exploration these simulations have measurement instruments including rulers, stopwatches, voltmeters, and thermometers PhET simulations and resources are freely available at the PhET website (https://phet.colorado.edu/) from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The Spoken Tutorial Effort for PhET has been contributed by Dr. Snehalatha Kaliappan, Madhuri Ganapathi, Dr. Vidya Iyer and Radhika Yadav.
Contents
Basic Level
1. Introduction to PhET Simulations
- Open the PhET website in a web browser.
- About PhET simulations.
- Register and sign in on the PhET website.
- Access the PhET simulations online.
- Browse the simulations.
- Filter simulations based on subject and grade level.
- Arrange the simulations in alphabetical order.
- Browse activities based on level and subject.
- Download the simulations for offline use on various OS.
- Open and run the downloaded simulation.
2. Number Line: Distance
- Open the simulation in HTML file format.
- About the simulation interface.
- View the simulation in different scenarios.
- Use checkboxes to show and hide the details.
- Represent integers on the number line using the variables.
- Differentiate between absolute value and directed distance.
- Swap the variables to change the directed distance.
- Calculate the difference between two integers.
- Calculate the distance between two integers.
- Switch between horizontal and vertical number lines.
3. Number Line: Operations
- Open simulation in HTML file format.
- About the simulation interface.
- Add integers using the number line.
- Subtract integers using the number line.
- Use checkboxes to show and hide the details.
- Calculate the additive inverse of a number.
- Differentiate between assets and debts.
- Perform calculations and show the net worth through assets and debts.
- Simplify the calculations and show the final result.
- Select the scale and number lines.
4. Graphing Lines
- About Linear equation.
- About Cartesian coordinate system.
- Draw lines with different slopes.
- Calculate the slope of a graphed line.
- Change the slope of the line by moving the points.
- Save the plotted lines.
- Erase the plotted lines.
- Change the intercept for the line.
- Change variables in a linear equation to change the line.
5. Trig Tour
- A unit circle to find the trigonometric ratios.
- Construct right-angled triangles inside a unit circle.
- Convert degrees into radians to look at the periodicity of functions.
- Special angle values for theta (θ).
- Coordinates of points tracing the trigonometric functions.
- Cosine function graph.
- Sine function graph.
- Tangent function graph.
- Amplitude of the functions.
- Vertical asymptotes of the tangent function.
