Exploration of Physical Science

Comprehensive software library of physical science simulations and labs designed to provide a highly-investigative learning environment for students at a variety of levels. Exploration of Physical Science: Simulation Library Vol. II is a vast collection of 100 computer simulations and labs encompassing a full-range of physical science topics. Designed to be highly interactive and highly visual, the software program utilizes a conceptual approach to teach physical science principles. The simulations and labs are categorized into three learning levels: 1) introductory, 2) intermediate, and 3) advanced; addressing the needs of introductory physical science, high school physics, and college physics courses. The multi-level learning feature gives the software package a great deal of flexibility to meet a wide range of student needs. The Simulation Library Vol. II collection is designed to complement and work along with the Vol. I collection. Each simulation re-creates a real world physical event, with the student given full control over the relevant experimental variables. Experimental parameters are easily manipulated using an assortment of slider controls; physical behaviors are animated on-screen using graphics that employ rich color and depth; and physical quantities are displayed using digital readouts, graphs, and histograms. Each simulation has a readily accessible help screen providing information on using the simulation. The vast collection of simulations and labs may be used in a variety of ways: (1) as an instructor lecture aid for demonstration purposes in front of the classroom, (2) for student use as a computer-based lab activity. Exploration of Physical Science simulations can be used to introduce a physical science concept, or serve nicely to reinforce and extend a lab (involving apparatus) that has already been performed. The ready-to-run simulations and highly intuitive interface allows first time users to immediately use the simulations and begin exploring with no preliminary time investment — essentially providing a ready to go lab experience. Version 2.0 New Features: > Higher Screen Resolution — 1024 x 768 > Improved Graphics > Runs Natively on Mac OS X		Newton’s 1st Law: By changing the speed and direction of a truck carrying an ice sheet, the inertia of a puck resting on the ice is examined.
		Conservation of Energy: Changes in kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and elastic potential energy are studied for a bungee jumper.
		Magnetic Field: Selecting either a long straight wire or solenoid, a compass can be moved to any position to measure the direction and strength of the field.
		Quantum Nature of Light: Demonstration of the photoelectric effect. The student selects the light source and metal target, then varies the voltage.

Simulations Contained in Vol. II:

Forces and Motion
A car’s linear velocity and acceleration graphs
Racing cars: Distance, velocity, and acceleration
Galileo’s experiment: Falling and air resistance
Velocity and acceleration of a falling ball
Falling balls with air resistance
Free fall: Independence of velocity components
Throwing a banana to a falling monkey
Projectile motion: Horizontal and vertical motion
Projectile motion and acceleration
Trajectory of a ball with air resistance
Newton’s 1st law: Puck on moving ice sheet
Newton’s 2nd law: A dogsled race
Static and kinetic friction
Skidding cars and stopping distances
Air resistance with one parachute
Air resistance with two racing parachutes
Newton’s 3rd law: Two astronauts playing catch
Newton’s 3rd law: Rocket propulsion
Center of mass of a drawn figure
Balancing people on a seesaw
Circular motion of a car on a race track
Circular motion of a sling: Tension and gravity
Angular momentum on a merry-go-round

Momentum and Energy
Jumping from a cart: Conservation of momentum
Inelastic car crash in two-dimensions
Energy conservation of a falling ball
Energy conservation on a loop-the-loop
Energy conservation of a pendulum
Energy conservation of a mass on a spring
Bouncing balls and the coefficient of restitution
Elastic & inelastic colliding balls in one-dimension
Colliding balls in two-dimensions
Energy conservation of a bungee jumper
Effect of friction on a car rolling on inclined surfaces
Effects of friction/air resistance on skiing snowman

Fluids
Measuring pressure in liquids
Mass, volume, density, and buoyancy

Electricity and Magnetism
Static electric charges on a hanging pith ball
Charging and discharging an electroscope
Electric field lines and vectors
Trajectory of a test charge in an electric field
A light bulb and battery
Electric circuits and Ohm’s law
Measurements of series and parallel circuits
The magnetic field of bar magnets
The magnetic field of a wire and solenoid
A proton in the Earth’s magnetic field
Magnetic force on a current-carrying wire
Electric dipole radiation

Thermodynamics
The three phases of water and latent heat
The ideal gas law
Temperature, speed, and kinetic energy
The distribution of molecular speeds in a gas
Mixing in a box of gas particles
Entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics

Vibrations, Waves, and Sound
Simple harmonic motion and the sine function
Simple harmonic and circular motion
Resonance of a damped, driven mass on a spring
Normal modes: Two masses connected by springs
Wave addition: Frequency, phase, and amplitude
The superposition of waves on a rope
Standing waves & harmonics: Strings/Organ Pipes
The superposition of sound waves
The Doppler effect and sonic booms
Ripple tank interference

Light and Optics
Fizeau’s experiment and the speed of light
The polarization of light and polarizing filters
The refraction of waves at a boundary
The refraction of light by prisms and raindrops
Additive and subtractive mixing of colors
Light rays and the formation of a real image
Ray tracing: Lenses and mirrors (5 simulations)
Single-slit diffraction of light
Interference of light waves from two slits
Double-slit interference and diffraction patterns

Relativity
The Michelson-Morley experiment
Relativity and simultaneity for a moving train
Length contraction
Time dilation
Racing trains: Newton’s vs. Einstein’s mechanics

Modern Physics
Radioactive decay
The photoelectric effect: Measuring 5 metals
Double-slit electron interference
Three models of the atom
The atomic nucleus and Rutherford’s experiment
Measurements of the quantum atom
The structure of matter: A salt crystal
The chemical bond

Astronomy
Retrograde motion in geocentric/heliocentric systems
Planetary motion: Kepler’s laws
The motion of a satellite orbiting Earth

Chaos and Fractals
Motion of a chaotic pendulum
Sierpinski triangle
Pythagorean Tree