Have you ever stretched out a Slinkie so much it wouldn't go back to its original shape? Slinkies, like all springs, follow Hooke's Law. A simulation uses springs and masses to demonstrate kinetic, potential, and thermal energy. It...

Is the transfer of energy different in bumper cars with stable versus bouncy bumpers? One of the variables explored in the simulation is bumper type; other variables are the mass and velocity of each car. This allows pupils to see the...

What are the three types of energy a ski jumper uses? If you said potential, kinetic, and heat, then you are correct. Scholars adjust the jumper's mass, jumper's form, and height of the start line in the simulation to display graphs of...

How do law enforcement officers determine the strength of an explosion based on the movement of objects around the point of origin? Scholars inspect the relative mass and velocities of two cars before and after an explosion. They perform...

Is momentum conserved in a collision, along with energy, or are they opposing forces? Pupils vary the mass and velocity of two bumper cars along with the type of bumper in order to answer this question. Worksheet and in-simulator...

How do police determine the speed of a car that has hit a stopped vehicle? Scholars determine the momentum of the car system both before and after a collision. They identify instances where the law of conservation of momentum appears to...

What prevents a roller coaster from falling when it goes upside down? Scholars experiment with a roller coaster simulation controlling the mass of the coaster, the height of the hill, and the radius of the loop. They learn which factors...

Roller coasters rely on both kinetic and potential energy, but how much total energy does a roller coaster need? Scholars vary the mass of a coaster and the height of the initial hill. Graphs showing the types of energy and total energy...

How did scientists measure the speed of incredibly fast things before the invention of high-speed photography? Scholars virtually perform ballistics tests to discover the process. They control the rifle type, bullet mass, and target...

Keep calm and half pipe. An exciting simulation teaches pupils about energy transfer from potential to kinetic and thermal as a skater moves through a half pipe or other track. After a brief introduction, scholars can build their own...

In this petroleum products activity, students are given the components of crude oil and they graph the various products found in a 50 gallon barrel. Students complete an activity to determine if they have collected cards that represent...

Use this interactive, animated lab to explore conservation of mechanical energy.

Hang various mass weights on spring scales while you adjust the spring stiffness and damping in this online activity. Slow down the action, take it to another planet, or watch the amount of potential, thermal, and kinetic energy.

Explore kinetic, potential, and thermal energy as you send a skateboarder along several pre-built tracks, then design your own. Charts and graphs show the distribution of the different forms of energy, illustrating how the total energy...

In this interactive activity adapted from Wake Forest University, students will observe the effect of mass on velocity and momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions. Includes background reading, a student handout, and discussion...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn the basics of chemical equations by watching methane bubbles light on fire. Practice balancing chemical equations.

Change the mass of a suspended object to see how its movement and forces are affected by gravity.