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Welcome to the

Multimedia Physics Studios

The Multimedia Physics Studios consists of a collection of GIF animations and accompanying explanations of major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first-year high school physics course. The animation and discussion have been written specifically for high school physics students. While the animations provide a strong visual reinforcement of physics concepts, they are not interactive. Interactive Shockwave animations are currently under construction; an initial preview of such files can be found at the Shockwave Physics Studios. Related information and discussion of physics concepts can be found at this same site in The Physics Classroom.

| 1-Dimensional Kinematics | Newton's Laws | Vectors and Projectiles | Momentum and Collisions | Work and Energy | Circular, Satellite and Rotational Motion | Special Relativity | Static Electricity | Waves, Sound and Light | Ray Optics | QuickTime Movies | Shockwave Animations |

GIF Animations

1-Dimensional Kinematics

• Average vs. Instantaneous Speed (6 seconds)
• Hot Wheels Track (37 seconds)
• Acceleration vs. Constant Velocity (3 seconds)
• Constant Rightward Velocity (13 seconds)
• Constant Leftward Velocity (13 seconds)
• Rightward Velocity with a Rightward Acceleration (11 seconds)
• Rightward Velocity with a Leftward Acceleration (10 seconds)
• Leftward Velocity with a Leftward Acceleration (11 seconds)
• Leftward Velocity with a Rightward Acceleration (10 seconds)
• Passing Lane - Position vs. Time Graph (11 seconds)
• Passing Lane - Velocity vs. Time Graph (10 seconds)
• The Stoplight (13 seconds)
• Motion of a Two-Stage Rocket (23 seconds)

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Newton's Laws

• Newton's Law of Inertia
  • The Car and The Wall (23 seconds)
  • The Motorcyclist (13 seconds)
  • The Truck and Ladder (16 seconds)
    
• The Elephant and The Feather - Free Fall (9 seconds)
• The Elephant and The Feather - with Air Resistance (14 seconds)
• Skydiving (17 seconds)

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Vectors and Projectiles

• Vector Direction (7 seconds)
• Vector Addition: 6 + 8 = ??? (10 seconds)
• Vector Addition: The Order Does NOT Matter (18 seconds)
• The Plane and The Wind (9 seconds)
• The River Boat (5 seconds)
• Parabolic Motion of Projectiles (10 seconds)
• The Monkey and The Zookeeper (2 seconds)
  • Throw at the Monkey in a Gravity Free Environment (4 seconds)
  • Throw above the Monkey with Gravity On (4 seconds)
  • Throw at the Monkey at a Fast Speed with Gravity On (4 seconds)
  • Throw at the Monkey at a Slow Speed with Gravity On (4 seconds)
• Horizontally Launched Projectiles (12 seconds)
• Non-Horizontally Launched Projectiles (15 seconds)
• Maximum Range (13 seconds)
• The Plane and The Package (12 seconds)
• The Truck and The Ball (14 seconds)
• A Satellite as a Projectile (21 seconds)

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Momentum and Collisions

• The Astronaut Catch (10 seconds)
• The Diesel Engine and Flatcar Collision (27 seconds)
• The Cart and The Brick
  • Part A - 2-kg Brick dropped on a 3-kg Cart (26 seconds)
  • Part B - 2-kg Brick dropped on a 1-kg Cart (28 seconds)
• The Fish Catch
  • Big Fish in Motion Catches Little Fish (15 seconds)
  • Little Fish in Motion is Caught by Big Fish (31 seconds)
    
• Car-Truck Collisions (collisions between objects of unequal mass)
  • Car "Rear-Ends" Truck - Inelastic (12 seconds)
  • Truck "Rear-Ends" Car - Inelastic (16 seconds)
  • Car "Rear-Ends" Truck - Elastic (28 seconds)
  • Truck "Rear-Ends" Car - Elastic (16 seconds)
  • Head-On Collision Between Car and Truck - Inelastic (28 seconds)
  • Head-On Collision Between Car and Truck - Elastic (24 seconds)
    
• Two Dimensional Collision Between Two Cars (8 seconds)

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Work and Energy

• Which Path Requires the Most Energy? (19 seconds)
• Energy Transformation for Downhill Skiing (49 seconds)
• Energy Transformation on a Roller Coaster (31 seconds)
• Energy Transformation for a Dart (13 seconds)
• Energy Transformation for a Pendulum (63 seconds)
• Energy Conservation on an Incline (9 seconds)
• Stopping Distance of a Hot Wheels Car (14 seconds)
• How Far Will It Skid? (23 seconds)
• How High Will It Go? (19 seconds)

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Circular, Satellite, and Rotational Motion

• Uniform Circular Motion (6 seconds)
• Inertia and The Right Hand Turn (8 seconds)
• The Centripetal Force Requirement (6 seconds)
• Roller Coaster G-Forces (24 seconds)
• Orbiting Satellites (21 seconds)
• Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
  • First Law - The Law of Ellipses
  • Second Law - The Law of Equal Areas (7 seconds)
  • Third Law - The Law of Harmonies
    

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Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity

• Length Contraction (41 seconds; includes 4 animations)

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Static Electricity

• Charging a Single Sphere by Induction
  • Using a Negatively-Charged Object (28 seconds)
  • Using a Positively-Charged Object
    
• Charging a Two-Sphere System by Induction
  • Using a Negatively-Charged Object (26 seconds)
  • Using a Positively-Charged Object
    
• Charging an Electrophorus Plate by Induction
  • Using a Negatively-Charged Object (33 seconds)
  • Using a Positively-Charged Object
    
• Charging an Electroscope by Induction
  • Using a Negatively-Charged Object (34 seconds)
  • Using a Positively-Charged Object
    
• Charging an Object by Contact
  • Using a Negatively-Charged Object
  • Using a Positively-Charged Object
    
• Grounding a Positively-Charged Electroscope (14 seconds)
• Grounding a Negatively-Charged Electroscope (14 seconds)

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Waves, Sound and Light

• Longitudinal Pulse (8 seconds)
• Tuning Forks and Longitudinal Waves (7 seconds)
• Guitar Strings and Longitudinal Waves (8 seconds)
• Sound Waves and the Eardrum (14 seconds)
• Propagation of an Electromagnetic Waves (30 seconds)
  
• Standing Waves on a String
  • 1st Harmonic (3 seconds)
  • 2nd Harmonic (3 seconds)
  • 3rd Harmonic (4 seconds)
  • 4th Harmonic (4 seconds)
  • 5th Harmonic (4 seconds)
    
• Reflection of a Pulse at a Fixed End (8 seconds)
• Reflection of a Pulse at a Free End (7 seconds)
  
• Reflection: Echo vs. Reverberation (30 seconds)
  
• Boundary Behavior of Pulses
  • Transmission from a More Dense to Less Dense Medium
  • Transmission from a Less Dense to a More Dense Medium (8 seconds)
    
• Standing Wave Formation on a String (11 seconds)
  
• 2-Point Source Interference Patterns
  • Changing Separation Distance (60 seconds)
  • Changing Wavelength (32 seconds)

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Ray Optics

• The Law of Reflection (11 seconds)
• Image Formation for Plane Mirrors (30 seconds)
• Ray Diagrams for Concave Mirrors
  • Object Located Beyond the Center of Curvature (11 seconds)
  • Object Located at the Center of Curvature (11 seconds)
  • Object Located Between Center of Curvature and the Focal Point (10 seconds)
  • Object Located In Front of Focal Point (9 seconds)
• Image Formation for Concave Mirrors
  • Object located Beyond the Center of Curvature (4 seconds)
  • Object located Between Center of Curvature and the Focal Point (4 seconds)
    
• The Broken Pencil (20 seconds)

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QuickTime Movies

Vectors and Projectiles

• Horizontally Launched Projectile (50 seconds)
• Non-Horizontally Launched Projectile (60 seconds)

Momentum and Collisions

• Car-Truck Collisions (collisions between objects of unequal mass)
  • Car "Rear-Ends" Truck - Inelastic (20 seconds)
  • Truck "Rear-Ends" Car - Inelastic (20 seconds)
  • Head-On Collision Between Car and Truck - Inelastic (20 seconds)

Work and Energy

• Roller Coaster (60 seconds)

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Return to The Physics Classroom

Return to the GBS Physics Home Page

Other Glenbrook South Physics Resources

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The Multimedia Physics Studios was recognized by Learning in Motion as one of the
Top Ten educational sites on the WWW for the months of April-May, 1997.

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Technical Notes:

The physics animations linked by this page are best viewed using the Netscape (version 2.0 or higher) browser. Other browsers (particularly older versions) may not support some of the animation formats listed on this page. The pages would be almost meaningless and certainly lacking in effectiveness if viewed with a text-only browser. Estimated download times using a 28.8 kBps modem are noted in parenthesis; nearly twice the time may be required by those using a 14.4 kBps modem. Be assured - they are worth the wait. The QuickTime movies are intended to be viewed within your Web browser window; doing so may require that you have the appropriate plug-ins installed on your computer. Technical information about QuickTime is available through the indicated links.

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© Tom Henderson. Glenbrook South High School. 1/4/99