Forces and Motion

Forces and Motion Screenshot
  • Force
  • Position
  • Velocity
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Topics

  • Force
  • Position
  • Velocity
  • Acceleration

Description

Explore the forces at work when you try to push a filing cabinet. Create an applied force and see the resulting friction force and total force acting on the cabinet. Charts show the forces, position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time. View a Free Body Diagram of all the forces (including gravitational and normal forces).

Sample Learning Goals

  • Predict, qualitatively, how an external force will affect the speed and direction of an object's motion.
  • Explain the effects with the help of a free body diagram.
  • Use free body diagrams to draw position, velocity, acceleration and force graphs and vice versa.
  • Explain how the graphs relate to one another.
  • Given a scenario or a graph, sketch all four graphs.
Version 2.06

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
MC Physics
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
Lab
Demo
HW
Physics
Forces and Motion activity 1: Predicting speed and directions changes (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
CQs
Lab
Physics
Force and Motion activity 2: Relating graphs and free body diagrams using Moving Man and Forces 1D (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro
Lab
CQs
Physics
Forces and Motion: Balanced and Unbalanced Forces, and Predicting Changes in Motion (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Emily Moore, Kathy Perkins, Trish Loeblein, Courtney Fadley MS Lab
Forces and Motion A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Sarah Borenstein MS Lab Physics
Types of Forces Investigation A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Elyse Zimmer HS Lab Physics
Forces and Motion Lesson A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. UTeach Middle School PhET Team MS Lab Physics
Rules for Forces A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. jim cibulka HS
MS
Lab
CQs
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López HS
MS
Other Physics
Chemistry
Earth Science
Biology
Mapping of PhET and IBDP Physics Jaya Ramchandani HS Other Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS
Other Chemistry
Physics
Biology
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other Physics
Force and Motion Julius Anderson MS Guided
Demo
Other
Kinematics Wang Yunhe HS Lab Physics
Forces & Motion Stephanie Weber MS Lab Physics
Mathematics
Force and Motion Caroline Kenneally UG-Intro
HS
CQs
HW
Demo
Gamificação da Força e movimento Darkson F. Costa; José M. V. Gomes; Dommenike M. Silva; Gilvandenys L. Sales. MS
UG-Intro
HS
Lab
Guided
Physics
Atividade de Força e Movimento Darkson F. Costa, Jeirla A.Monteiro, Gilvandenys L. Sales MS Discuss
Lab
Physics
Forças em Ação Alline Alencar Macedo e Mairton Romeu Cavalcante HS Lab Physics
Força de Atrito Marcus Duarte HS Lab

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Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Sam Reid (developer)
  • Noah Podelefsky (lead designer)
  • Trish Loeblein
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Piccolo2d
  • Scala
  • JFreeChart