Phet.colorado.edu is a free website that provides you with simulations on various physics topics. It is a very nice initiative by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Most of the important physics topics are covered in these simulations. You can study closely and understand deeply with these simulations. And not just physics but simulations for Math, Chemistry, etc. are also available. You can practically learn the concepts of physics using these simulations. It is a fun way to learn. You just need to visit the website and choose a simulation to run. It is very easy and simple to learn things here using these simulations.
How to use Phet.colorado.edu simulations
Visit phet.colorado.edu physics simulations.
On the physics simulation page of the website, you’ll find the simulations. There are 47 simulations as of now. You will find most of the essential topics there. The Physics simulation page looks like this:
You can choose any simulations among these and learn about the concept. You’ll be able to learn things from the beginning. The website allows you to take a lot of actions while throughout this practice, so that you can learn as much as you can. For example: In an exercise about atoms, you’ll be able to alter atomic mass, mass number, charge, etc. It gives you a deeper understanding of the topic.
There are many topics available. 7 out of those, I’ve highlighted below:
- Atomic Interactions: Learn how atoms interact with each other.
- Balloons and Static Energy: See how static energy works using balloon experiment.
- Build an Atom: Build an atom from scratch. Learn the fundamentals of atom.
- Bending the Light: Learn how the light bends using this simulation.
- Coulomb’s Law: Now learn the Coulomb’s law with a new perspective.
- Diffusion: See how two gases diffuses with each other more closely and clearly.
- Force and Motion basics: : Learn the basics of Force and Motion in this simulation exercise.
Simulation is a very interactive and fun way to learn things, especially subjects like physics. You can see and make things happen in real time. You get the hands-on experience on things which usually don’t allow this. The best thing about these simulations is that you can take even tiny actions and see their responses to it. You can make change in the fundamental concepts and see the reaction. It helps us learn how and why things work, which is a very tough question to answer if taught in theory.
Conclusion:
I like PhET because it is very easy and simple. All you have to do is to visit the website and choose the simulation. This is a great initiative by University of Colorado. You don’t need to sign up to use the basic features like simulation. Translations for the same simulations are also available. There are a variety of topics to pick from, along with a list of subjects. It is totally free. It can be a very useful website for students and teachers both. Teachers can use it to teach the students, while students can use this for practice.
