home   |   physics.highpoint.edu
/physlets/

Physlets

Physlet DB | Physlet Physics | USAFA Physlets | Physlet Resource | LTU Physlets

 

are scriptable Java Applets written by Wolfgang Christian of Davison College. They are used with permission for educational use. You are welcome to copy any of these pages, modify them, and use them in teaching physics.

Here are some Physlets I've written or modified from those written by others. Some of these can be found in WebAssign by searching for questions named titus.physlet. Some can also be found as public domain Physlets in the book Physlet Physics by Wolgang Christian and Mario Belloni.

Kinematics
Motion Diagrams Use successive images of an object to analyze its motion.
Space probe with thrusters 2D constant acceleration
Helicopter's velocity-time graph velocity-time graph; graph is not a picture of its path
Passing a car A car with consant acceleration catches up to a car with constant velocity.
1D golf putt 1D non-constant acceleration
Rising balloon rising balloon with constant acceleration (no air resistance)
Projectile motion projectile motion (no air resistance); shows independence of horizontal and vertical motion
Planetary orbit velocity and acceleration vectors for an elliptical orbit
Golf ball rims the hole non-constant acceleration, average acceleration, instantaneous acceleration, vector subtraction
Uniform circular motion motion of a point on the edge of a wheel; velocity and acceleration vectors
Uniform circular motion and simple harmonic motion uniform circular motion is a combination of simple harmonic motion in each of two dimensions
Acceleration vector components tangential and radial components of acceleration for non-constant acceleration
Mass on a spring simple harmonic motion
Newton's second law (momentum principle)
Air Resistance 1-D motion of an object in air
Fireworks A fireworks shell explodes into two pieces. What is the trajectory of the center of mass?
Gravitation
Newton's Principia demonstrates orbits of cannonballs
Central force required for orbits make an object orbit in a circle by applying an external force
Binary Stars investigate the "wobble" for a star in a binary star system
Exoplanets why planets make a star wobble
Gravitational Field demonstrates gravitational field
Waves
Frequency of a Transverse Wave calculate frequency, period, and speed of a sinusoidal transverse wave on a string
Frequency of a Longitudinal Wave calculate frequency, period, and speed of a sinusoidal longitudinal wave on a spring
Standing Sound Wave view oscillations of atoms in a 1-D medium for a standing sound wave.
Superposition of Waves add wave functions and view the superposition
Energy
Rutherford experiment Collision between positively charged particles.
Hydrogen spectrum Hydrogen spectral lines
Electric Equipotential Lines Electric equipotential lines can be used to determine electric field.
E&M
Electric field Electric field due to charged particles.
Electromagnetic radiation Accelerating charge produces electromagnetic radiation.
Electromagnetic wave Oscillating perpendicular electric and magnetic fields.
Circuits
RC circuit View phasors and graphs for source, resistor, and capacitor voltages.
Optics
Optics Workbench Simulate image formation by mirrors and lenses.
Ripple Tank Simulate constructive and destructive interference of 2-D waves in a ripple tank.
Quantum Mechanics
Probability Density for Hydrogen Probability distributions for electron in a hydrogen-like atom.

High Point University       Last modified:   5/24/13 11:23 AM