PhET Simulations for Physics

PhET Simulations for Physics

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, Meenal Ghoderao, Himanshi Karwanje and Vidhi Thakur.

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. Static Electricity and Charges

• Open the simulations in HTML file format.
• About PhET simulation interface.
• Transfer the negative charges from Phet sweater to the balloons.
• Alignment of the electric field as the charges move.
• Make the electric field value zero by overlapping the charges.
• Show the attraction and repulsion between the charges.
• Use Sensors to depict the magnitude and direction of the charges.
• Draw equipotential lines near the positive and negative charges.
• Measure the voltages at various locations using the equipotential lines.
• Use grid to align the charges.

3. States of Matter

• How to use States of Matter, an interactive PhET simulation.
• Predict how change in temperature changes the behaviour of particles.
• Predict how change in pressure changes the behaviour of particles.
• Compare the particles in three different phases.
• Study the phase diagram for different atoms.
• Add atoms to the container using the pushing pump.
• Compare interactions between particles in solids, liquids and gases.
• Study the relation between temperature and Kinetic Energy of molecules.

4. Bending Light

• About Bending Light, an interactive PhET simulation.
• Explain reflection, refraction and dispersion of light.
• Measure the angle of incidence, refraction and reflection.
• Explain refractive index with bending of light.
• How reflection varies with different material media.
• How refraction varies with different material media.
• Use of optical instruments like prism and lens.
• Measure intensity and velocity of light.
• View different wave patterns.

5. Energy Forms and Changes

• About energy and its different forms.
• About Energy Forms and changes simulation interface.
• Flow of energy when objects are heated or cooled.
• Transfer of heat in the form of energy chunks.
• Comparison of thermal conductivity in different objects.
• Conservation of energy in everyday life.
• Conversion of energy into different forms.
• Effect of clouds on the solar panel.
• Design different energy systems.

6. Energy Skate Park

• Define the law of conservation of energy.
• Define Potential energy and kinetic energy.
• About Energy Skate Park simulation interface.
• Conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy with change in position of the skater.
• Change in total energy with the change in shape and height of the track.
• Depict kinetic energy, position and time using the graphs.
• Show pie chart and bar graph for energy changes.
• Effect of mass of the skater on total energy.
• Effect of friction on the movement of the skater.
• Effect gravity on the motion of the skater.

Intermediate Level

7. Faraday’s Electromagnetic Lab

• About Faraday's Electromagnetic Lab simulation interface.
• Change the needle spacing and needle size using the Options menu.
• Change in the magnetic field, as strength of the bar magnet varies.
• About flip polarity.
• Change the loop parameters to change the induced EMF.
• Effect of AC current source on induced EMF.
• Change in the speed of electrons on the coil as the voltage varies.
• Working of a transformer.
• Working of a generator.

8. Semiconductors

• Open the PhET simulation using Java.
• About the simulation interface.
• How a battery acts as driving force in a circuit.
• Add dopants to move the electrons in the circuit.
• Explanation of why a pn junction acts as a diode, and allows current to flow one direction only.
• About valence band and conduction band.
• Connect the circuit in forward bias and reverse bias using a pn junction diode.
• Add dopants to move the electrons to higher energy levels.
• Show that p type dopant is an acceptor and n type dopant is a donor.
• Explanation of why a depletion region does not allow current to flow.

9. Projectile Motion

• Define projectile and projectile motion.
• Define a trajectory.
• Effect of gravity on projectile motion.
• Horizontal and vertical motion of a projectile.
• Effect of change in initial speed, cannon's angle and height of the pedestal on the trajectory.
• Effect of air resistance on projectile motion.
• Change in the shape of the projectile as drag coefficient changes.
• Variables affecting drag force.
• Effect of change in mass and diameter of the projectile on projectile motion.
• Effect of custom parameters on projectile motion.

10. Pendulum Lab

• Define simple pendulum and simple harmonic motion.
• About simple harmonic motion.
• Show oscillatory motion of a pendulum.
• Measure the time taken for 10 oscillations.
• Note the time taken for 10 oscillations in a tabular column.
• About conservation of energy during the oscillations of a pendulum.
• About the effect of velocity on the oscillations.
• Compare measured and calculated values of time period at different lengths.
• Observe the difference in the motion of a pendulum on earth and other celestial bodies.

11. Fluid Pressure and Flow

• Change in pressure in the presence and absence of atmosphere.
• Pressure changes with change in the shape of the tank.
• Measure pressure at various depths.
• How pressure changes with change in mass.
• Measure the pressure for different fluid densities.
• About Bernoulli’s Principle.
• Calculate the pressure at the bottom of the tank.
• How flow of water changes on changing the position of the Hose.

Contributors and Content Editors

Madhurig