What is the steepness of a hill before a unicyclist slides down it rather than pedaling down it? The simulation graphs the wheel speed versus the unicycle speed as the rider goes down a hill. Scholars control the mass of the rider,...

Does a yo-yo descend at the speed of gravity? The simulation explores angular speed and torque as a yo-yo is moved through a standard rotation. Scholars control the size and style of the yo-yo as well as the throwing speed. Challenge...

Sometimes it appears that a bowling ball slides down the alley rather than rolling, while other times it appears to switch rolling directions at some point. Scholars control the bowling ball size, initial rotation, initial speed, and...

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 much energy is required to break apart an atomic nucleus and does it vary based on the type of atom? Scholars virtually experiment with a linear accelerator in order to answer these questions. They alter the voltage, length of the...

Why does the air in a hot oven not burn skin, but metal in the oven does? The simulation focuses on the difference between temperature and thermal energy and the way these are transferred. Scholars adjust the temperature of an oven and...

Breakwaters offer marinas and beaches protection from large ocean waves, but how do they work? Scholars observe wave patterns and wave amplitude during the simulation. They control the number of openings, width of openings, distance...

How does a scuba diver control whether they sink or float? Scholars observe the relationship between absolute pressure and depth below the surface in an undersea simulation. They control the diver size and depth to center of mass to...

How can heat power an engine? Scholars observe a heat engine working and control variables to determine the most efficient setup. They change the amount of heat input as well as the stroke length. Energy efficiency numbers prove the...

When a child lets go of a helium balloon, what happens to it? Does it float all the way to space? The simulator allows pupils to experiment on party balloons and weather balloons under different conditions to see what happens to them in...

Does the depth of a pond matter to the waves created when rain is falling? Many people assume the answer is no, but interestingly, it does matter. Pupils explore this concept and other variables related to wave behavior through a...

If you are at a sports match and the crowd starts two waves that are both headed toward you at the same time, what do you do? The simulation applies the concepts of constructive interference and destructive interference to that very...

Do radio waves create light? It's more difficult to understand the things we can't see than those that we can. The simulation compares the relatively small range of visible light to the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It graphs the size...

Does a trampoline use mostly potential or kinetic energy? Pupils adjust the mass of the jumper, stiffness of the trampoline, and initial jump height in order to answer that question. The simulation displays graphs of the various types of...

How can we change the color of what we are seeing? The simulation allows individuals to change the color of a car's paint, the color of light pointed at the car, and the color of glasses the person is wearing. Each combination creates a...

Can you easily lift more than your own weight? With a pulley system, almost anyone can manage this challenge. Scholars adjust the mechanical advantage (number of pulleys), weight of object being lifted, and the length of rope pulled. The...