Physics Simulations Hub

What simulations are good for

A simulation makes a model visible. It lets a reader change one quantity at a time and watch how the system responds. That is especially useful in physics because many relationships are proportional, inverse, squared, or periodic, and those patterns are easier to understand when they move.

The simulations linked here are best used alongside formulas rather than in place of them. In projectile motion, the path shows how horizontal and vertical components behave differently. In orbital motion, the animation turns Newton's law of gravitation into a curved trajectory. In wave interference, the bright and dark regions make phase difference concrete.

How to check a simulation

Every simulation should be tested against limiting cases. If gravity is set to zero, a projectile should not curve downward. If two wave sources are in phase and equally spaced, the interference pattern should have symmetry. If a pendulum starts with a small angle, its motion should approach the familiar small-angle period.

Readers should also compare the visual result with a numerical estimate. Use the calculator library for quick checks: projectile range, pendulum period, wave speed, blackbody wavelength, and time dilation all have formulas that can be evaluated independently. When the simulation and the estimate disagree, the first question should be whether the assumptions are the same.

Future simulations should include clear inputs, stable units, accessible labels, and a short note describing the model's limits. That keeps the page useful for study instead of becoming a visual toy without physics context.