Interactive Physics Simulations

The primary focus of this project is to create interactive, real-time physics simulations for educational use with the ultimate goal of improving students’ physical intuition. Ideally a student would be able to work with a system in a physical lab environment in order to build their intuition, but this may not always be feasible due to the size and scope of the system or the student’s access to required materials. These simulations seek to provide practical alternatives for the aforementioned limitations. In any given simulation, both accuracy and realism are strived for, yet the general scope for each is to recreate those elements that are fundamental to an individual’s understanding of the system. The topics covered by this project are those that would be found in an undergraduate physics curriculum with special focus on systems for which analytical solutions are difficult or impossible