PHYSIMS | INTERACTIVE PHYSICS SIMULATIONS & VIRTUAL LABS

Kinetic, Potential and Mechanical Energy in Vertical Motion

The PHYSIMS vertical motion and energy simulator helps students connect a moving ball with the energy equations they study in physics. Launch a ball upward or let it fall, change its mass and initial conditions, and observe how its energy changes with height. The animation, three energy graphs and live bar chart provide complementary views of the same motion.

Understand kinetic energy K, potential energy U and mechanical energy E

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion: K = ½mv², where m is mass in kilograms and v is speed in metres per second. Gravitational potential energy is U = mgh, where h is height above the ground and g is the magnitude of gravitational acceleration. The ground is the zero reference for potential energy. Mechanical energy is calculated as E = U + K, and all three energies are measured in joules (J).

As a ball rises, its speed decreases, kinetic energy falls and potential energy increases. At the turning point of a vertical upward launch, the ball is momentarily at rest, so K = 0 while U can remain positive. During the descent, height and potential energy decrease as kinetic energy increases. Compare the displayed U and K values along the motion axis with the current energy bars.

Read energy-versus-height graphs and live energy bars

The horizontal axis of each energy graph represents height. Separate plots show potential energy U, kinetic energy K and their sum E at the sampled heights. The amber K, blue U and green E bars show the current energy values as the animation runs. With air resistance set to zero, mechanical energy stays constant: an increase in one energy is balanced by a decrease in the other.

Investigate energy loss from air resistance

Increase the air-resistance setting to see mechanical energy decrease as the ball moves. The simulator uses a simplified educational model in which the opposing air force is a selected percentage of m|a|, with a representing the acceleration entered without air resistance. This force acts against the direction of motion. The percentage controls the resistance force; it does not mean that the same percentage of total energy is removed on every frame. Energy transferred to the surroundings is not included in E = U + K.

Compare two balls and inspect the motion frame by frame

Use the one-ball mode to focus on energy transfer, or select two balls to compare mass, velocity, height and air resistance. Keep all but one setting fixed for a clear comparison. Pause the simulation and advance by 1, 5, 10 or 30 frames to inspect changes near a turning point or during a fall. Mechanical energy is calculated automatically, while the requested-unknown selector lets learners investigate relationships between motion and energy quantities.

Try a classroom energy-conservation investigation

Begin with zero air resistance and predict how the K and U bars will change during an upward launch. Check the prediction against the graphs, then repeat with resistance and compare E at the same heights. Change the mass while keeping the initial height and speed fixed to explore how energy values scale. These short experiments support virtual physics labs, classroom demonstrations, independent practice and discussions of conservation of mechanical energy.

Learn Projectile Motion: Launch Angle, Trajectory, Range and Velocity

The PHYSIMS projectile motion simulator connects two-dimensional motion equations with a visible cannon launch and synchronized graphs. Students and teachers can explore how initial speed, launch angle, platform height and gravitational acceleration affect a ball's path. The model assumes constant downward gravity and no air resistance, so the motion can be studied through its horizontal and vertical components.

How launch angle, speed and height change a projectile's path

Keep the initial speed fixed and compare low-angle, steep-angle and vertical launches. A shallow launch gives a larger initial horizontal velocity, while a steeper launch gives a larger initial vertical velocity. When launch and landing heights are equal, a 45° launch gives the greatest range for a fixed speed in this ideal model. Raising the launch platform changes the flight time and the angle that gives the greatest range. Increase y₀ to raise the platform, or set y₀ = 0 to launch from ground level.

Understand horizontal and vertical velocity

For launch speed v₀ and angle θ measured above the horizontal, vₓ = v₀ cos(θ) stays constant and vᵧ(t) = v₀ sin(θ) − gt changes as gravity acts. The position equations are x(t) = v₀ cos(θ)t and y(t) = y₀ + v₀ sin(θ)t − ½gt², where t is measured from each ball's launch. At the top of an angled trajectory, vertical velocity is zero; horizontal velocity continues. The displayed speed is the magnitude √(vₓ² + vᵧ²).

Read the position-time and speed-time graphs

The x–t graph is a straight line because horizontal velocity is constant. The y–t graph curves downward as gravity changes the vertical velocity. The speed–t graph shows the ball slowing on the way up and speeding up on the way down. Ground and y-axis shadows help connect the moving ball to its horizontal position and height. Each trajectory ends when the ball reaches the ground; rebounds and air drag are excluded.

Compare two launches in a virtual physics lab

Select two balls to compare different launch angles, speeds, heights or gravity settings, and use the second ball's start delay to separate the launches in time. Change one setting at a time, predict the effect on range or peak height, and compare your prediction with the animation, calculated results and graphs. Use these experiments for classroom demonstrations, independent study and introductory kinematics investigations.

Learn Vertical Motion, Free Fall, Velocity and Acceleration

The PHYSIMS interactive vertical motion simulator helps learners connect kinematics equations with visible motion and real-time graphs. Students can compare two balls with different initial positions, velocities, accelerations, and start delays while observing their displacement along a shared vertical axis.

Use the simulation to study motion under gravity, upward launches, free fall, maximum height, direction changes, stopping points, meeting time, and the relationships between position, velocity, acceleration, and time. The synchronized graphs make the activity useful for classroom demonstrations, homework, virtual physics labs, and independent practice.

One-Dimensional Motion, Kinematics and Motion Graphs

The PHYSIMS interactive kinematics simulation allows students to investigate one-dimensional motion by changing initial position, initial velocity, and acceleration. Students can observe the physical motion while simultaneously analyzing position-time, velocity-time, and acceleration-time graphs.

Change Initial Position, Velocity, and Acceleration

Students can change the main parameters of motion and immediately observe how each parameter affects the behavior of the moving object. The simulation can be used to investigate initial position, initial velocity, acceleration, and direction of motion.

Position-Time Graph and Velocity

The position-time graph provides a visual representation of how position changes with time. Students can investigate constant position, constant velocity, positive velocity, negative velocity, changing velocity, and changing slope. The slope of a position-time graph can be connected directly to the velocity of the moving object.

Velocity-Time Graph and Acceleration

The velocity-time graph allows students to investigate how velocity changes with time. By changing acceleration, students can observe how the slope of the velocity-time graph changes. Students can explore positive and negative acceleration, positive and negative velocity, speeding up, slowing down, stopping, and reversing direction.

Acceleration and Direction of Motion

Students can compare positive and negative velocity with positive and negative acceleration. This helps students understand that positive acceleration does not necessarily mean that an object is speeding up.

Two-Object Motion and Relative Motion

The simulation can also be used to investigate the motion of two objects with different initial positions, velocities, and accelerations. Students can investigate meeting points, catch-up problems, overtaking, relative motion, and graph comparisons.

Compare Two Moving Objects Using Kinematics Graphs

Students can predict whether two objects will meet, run the simulation, and compare their predictions with the physical animation and graphs. They can determine when and where the objects meet and analyze the intersection of their position-time graphs.

Electric Charge, Electrostatics, Charge Distribution and Induction

PHYSIMS interactive electrostatics simulations allow students to investigate electric charge, charge redistribution, conducting spheres, electrostatic induction, grounding, polarization, and charge distribution. Students can interact with charged objects and observe how electric charges redistribute themselves.

Electric Charge Distribution in Conductors

Students can investigate how electric charge is distributed on conducting objects and explore attraction, repulsion, charge separation, polarization, and net electric charge.

Electrostatic Induction in a Conducting Sphere

Bring a positively or negatively charged rod near a conducting sphere and observe how charges redistribute. Students can compare the initial state with the charge distribution during and after the interaction.

Charging by Induction and Grounding

Students can investigate what happens when a charged rod is brought near a grounded conducting sphere. The activity provides a visual way to explore charge transfer, grounding, and charging by induction.

Charge Separation and Polarization

Students can compare positive and negative charged rods and investigate how the direction of charge separation changes in conducting objects.

Electric Charge Density and Radius of Curvature

The conducting-body simulations can be used to investigate the relationship between the shape of a conductor, radius of curvature, and electric charge distribution.

How to Use an Electroscope to Study Electric Charge

An electroscope provides a visual way to investigate electrostatic induction, charge separation, charge transfer, and charging by contact.

Electroscope and Electrostatic Induction

Start with a neutral electroscope and bring a charged object near it. Observe the movement of the leaves and explain the result using electric charge redistribution.

Charging an Electroscope by Contact

Students can compare bringing a charged object near the electroscope with touching the electroscope using the charged object. This allows students to distinguish induction from charging by contact.

Electric Circuits, Voltage, Current, Resistance and Ohm's Law

PHYSIMS provides interactive electric circuit activities using PhET simulations. Students can build simple DC circuits, measure voltage and current, change resistance, and investigate the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

PhET Electric Circuit Simulation Activities

Students can build a circuit, add a battery and resistor or light bulb, measure voltage and current, change resistance, and observe the resulting changes.

Investigating Ohm's Law with a Physics Simulation

Students can keep one variable constant while changing another variable and use experimental observations to investigate Ohm's law. This approach connects circuit measurements with the mathematical relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

Density, Mass and Volume in Physics

Density activities help students connect mass and volume with the physical properties of different materials. Interactive activities can be combined with measurements, calculations, tables, and physics practice questions.

Density, Mass and Volume

Students can investigate how changing mass or volume affects density and compare different materials. Density activities can also be connected to real-world questions involving floating, sinking, liquids, and material identification.

Work, Force, Displacement and Energy

PHYSIMS provides activities for exploring work and energy through interactive and visual physics simulations. Students can investigate force, displacement, work, kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, energy transfer, and conservation of energy.

Work, Force and Displacement

Students can investigate how force and displacement affect the work done on an object and connect the physical situation with mathematical relationships.

Kinetic, Potential and Thermal Energy

Interactive simulations help students observe how energy changes from one form to another and how energy can be transferred between objects or systems.

How to Learn Physics with PhET Simulations

PHYSIMS uses structured activities with PhET Interactive Simulations as virtual laboratories. Students can explore physics concepts, perform virtual experiments, collect evidence, and answer guided questions.

Predict, Explore, Measure and Explain

A useful approach is to begin with a prediction, interact with the simulation, change one variable at a time, observe the result, record measurements, and explain the physical behavior.

This method can be applied to electric circuits, Ohm's law, magnetism, work and energy, electric charge, and other physics topics.

Learn Physics by Changing Parameters and Observing Behavior

The purpose of an interactive physics simulation is not simply to watch an animation. Students should actively manipulate the model and investigate cause-and-effect relationships.

Predict the Physical Behavior

Before running the simulation, students should predict what will happen when a parameter is changed.

Change One Parameter at a Time

Changing one variable while keeping the others constant makes it easier to identify cause-and-effect relationships.

Observe and Compare

Students should compare the original and modified situations and identify what changed.

Analyze Graphs and Measurements

Graphs provide a bridge between the physical animation and the mathematical description of the phenomenon.

Explain the Physics

Students should explain the observed behavior using physics concepts, equations, graphs, and evidence from the simulation.