Kirbyx Physics Simulations

If you use these simulations and find them helpful, you can inspire me to write more by donating a cup of coffee,  which is my programming fuel,  through PayPal. 

Please send any comments (changes you'd like to see,  simulation ideas, glitches...) to waveaddapp@gmail.com.  Thank you!

observation: This website has been up for a few years and it has experienced tens of thousands of uses, downloads etc....   so far (November 2024), a total of around $15 has been donated for coffee 😊... Thank you to those three generous people (the coffee was gooood!). 

Wave Addition Simulation...

A free HTML5 simulation that adds two waves of your own design, and shows their sum... longitudinal or transverse... sine, square, or triangle.

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks .  WaveAdd doesn't work on iPhones or iPads.


Inclined Plane Simulation 1... 

(old version)

...a block slides down a ramp.

A free HTML5 simulation of a tiltable inclined plane that shows static and Kinetic  friction, weight, normal force, energies, position, velocity, acceleration. . . 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. InclinedPlaner doesn't work on iPhones or iPads.

One dimensional Collision Simulation... 

linear and angular momentum, with linear coefficient of restitution. 

A free HTML5 simulation that collides two masses of variable mass, linear velocity, angular velocity and shape


This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Works on iPads etc, but a bit tiny on a cell phone. 

Inclined Plane Simulation 2... 

(new version)

...a block slides down a ramp.

A free HTML5 simulation of an inclined plane that shows static and kinetic  friction, weight, forces, energies, position, acceleration. . . 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. InclinedPlaner doesn't work on iPhones or iPads.

Horizontal Circle Simulation... 

A free HTML5 simulation that shows a ball on a string, an object on a banked track, or an airplane moving in a horizontal circle. Show forces, net force, force components, speed,  acceleration, values, and  dimensions, and a variable view angle.

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. HorizontalCircleSim does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Vertical Circle Simulation... 

A free HTML5 simulation that shows a ball moving in a vertical circle, or as a simple pendulum, on the end of a string, inside a track, or on a rod.  Show forces, and their radial and tangential components, speed,  acceleration, period, energies, graphs, values, and dimensions.

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. VerticalCircleSim does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.


2D Motion Simulation... 

A free HTML5 simulation that allows the user to vary the position, velocity, and acceleration of one or two objects in two dimensions.

Additionally, there are sets of kinematics questions where the student will see objects move according to their answers. Questions include projectiles and the 'Monkey and the Banana'. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. 2DMotionSim does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

2D Collision Simulation...

Simulates a 2-dimensional elastic, inelastic, or perfectly inelastic collision. 

Shows linear and angular momentum, translational and rotational kinetic energy. All vectors can be shown with their components.

Easily change the position, speed, direction, mass, and radius of each object.  

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. 2DCollisionSim does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Electric Field and Potential Simulation: 

...Two Concentric Shells 

A free HTML5 simulation that allows the user to examine the electric field and potential that surrounds two concentric spherical shells whose charge and internal and external radii can be changed.

The user can choose between conducting shells or shells that have uniform charge distribution. 


This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Electric Field and Potential Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Ballistic Pendulum etc. Simulation... 

Simulates collisions between blocks and pendulums... elastic collisions, perfectly inelastic collisions, or in between.

Shows before and after speeds, momenta, energies and heights. 






This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Ballistic Pendulum etc. Simulatioun does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Mass Spectrometer Simulation... 

Simulates a Bainbridge Mass spectrograph. Control all voltages, electric fields, magnetic fields, and dimensions. View speed, position, direction, path, etc. Choose what to see.  Use to view just to examine the path of a charge in just a uniform electric field or just a uniform magnetic field.  Choose only the elements that you want to see. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Mass Spectrometer Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Atwood's Machine Simulation... 

Simulates pretty much every kind of Atwood's machine scenario, with kinetic and static friction, moment inertia for the pulley, changeable direction and magnitude of initial velocity, changeable angle of inclined planes....

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Atwood's Machine Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Continuity Equation Simulation... 

Simulates a liquid flowing through pipes of different cross-sectional areas, showing how the speed of the liquid changes from pipe to pipe. Changeable pipe cross-sectional areas, pipe lengths, and flow rate. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Continuity Equation Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Venturi's Equation Simulation... 

Accurately shows the relationship between the pressure, density, and speed of a liquid as it passes from one pipe to another, as described by Venturi's equation.

Changeable pressure, cross-sectional area, pipe length, flow rate, density, and acceleration due to gravity. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Venturi's Equation Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Bernoulli' s Equation Simulation... 

Accurately shows the relationship between the pressure, density, speed, and height of a liquid as it passes from one pipe to another, as described by Bernoulli's equation.

Changeable pressure, cross-sectional area, pipe length, flow rate, height, density, and acceleration due to gravity. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. Bernoulli's Equation Simulation does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Spring Quiz...

A quiz about springs for students:

A hanging spring has a mass attached. The system then reaches equilibrium. The mass is pulled down and then released. The process is animated; at each stage students are asked to answer questions about kinematics (position, speed, acceleration), forces (weight and spring) and energy (gravitational potential, kinetic, spring potential, and conservation).

Each question of the 34 questions allows for three attempts and one hint, and the app keeps track of the score. If a student fails to provide a correct answer (within 10% of the true answer) after three attempts, the answer is provided to the student.

Each student will see a different spring... different spring constant, length, and extension, and a different mass. If the student resets the app, different values will also be presented. 

 This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. 2DCollisionSim does work on iPads, not well on iPhones.

Projectile Simulation...

Simulates the path of a projectile that lands at any height. 

Change, using sliders or touch: 

Show:

 This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. ProjectileSim does work on iPads and iPhones.

Torque and Rotation Simulation...

Give angular acceleration using a torque. Use rotational inertia, the parallel axis theorem and the law of conservation of angular momentum. 

              Mass, Outer radius of disk, Inner radius of disk, Distance

        between axis and center of mass

Force, Arm length, Angle between force and arm

               Disk with all values shown, Torque with all values shown

               Angular displacement, Angular velocity

               Angular acceleration, Angular momentum, Kinetic   

               energy

               Worked equations that lead to: Torque, Rotational

               inertia, Angular acceleration, Kinetic energy

 This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. ProjectileSim does work on iPads and iPhones.

Equilibrium Simulation...

Given a set of force vectors, can you determine the equilibrant force?

An object drifting though space experiences one to five forces (user determined). Determine the force that cancels them all out, the equilibrant, the negative of the resultant force. 


The simulation shows the force vectors as rectangular coordinates or as forces in newtons. 


 This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. ProjectileSim does work on iPads and iPhones.

Ideal Gas Law Simulation... PVT graphs

A free HTML5 simulation that links a PV, VT, and PT graph to an animation of a container of an ideal gas. Show isobaric, isochoric, isothermal, and adiabatic graphs, energies, forces, and the ideal gas law. 

This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. PVTsim does work on iPads and similar, not so well on phones.

Kinematics Graphs Simulation...

Moving the mouse (or finger) creates position/time and velocity/time graphs...

And also distance/time and speed/time graphs...


A simple app that graphs the position, velocity, distance, and speed of a computer  mouse (or your finger) against time.  


 This app opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. MouseMoveGraph does work on Android things, iPads and iPhones, although iPhones are a bit small.

Escape Velocity Simulation...

If you throw something upwards fast enough, will it come back down again?

A rock is fired from the surface of a planet... will it reach infinity? 


This simulation shows the displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time for the rock, and also the kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and total mechanical energy of the planet + rock system. 


The user can adjust the initial velocity of the rock, the mass and radius of the planet, and the mass of the rock. The user can also choose one of the planets in our solar system.


 This simulation opens in all recent popular computer browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) and Chromebooks. ProjectileSim does work on iPads and iPhones.