Re: [Phys-l] Searching for Virtual Labs

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

There is also the site:
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/WebPhysicsInfo.htm

There are a number of sample animations at:
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/Applets/Applets.html

And there are the ones I have created or referenced at:
http://users.hal-pc.org/~clement/science.htm
Some of the links are broken, and I will eventually fix them.  Mine are
designed to be used as labs, so they do not have theory or instructions.
The MOP simulations are designed to illustrate the Minds on Physics
questions, and help students with the questions.  The TST simulations are
for mechanics and have a number of different standard situations.  There are
also prediction or matching labs where the students have to set up the
parameters to match specific graphs.

There are a number of fairly realists simulations at:
http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/

Be warned that simulations that are too realistic may not work as well as
the more diagrammatic ones.  Students may look at the wrong things in the
realistic ones.

The PHET labs have been shown in some cases to work better than actual
physical labs.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX