Forces and motion
Get to grips with Newton's laws by navigating a deep-space rocket. You need to remember that things move a little differently out in deep space (there's no gravity and no friction to get in the way).
In this case study we analyse the forces acting on bodies moving with a constant velocity.
In this game you must use your knowledge of moments to balance the seesaw and save the princess. What terrible fate will befall her if you fail?
View the details of a series of pulley systems providing different levels of mechanical advantage. A great resource for introducing pupils to the concepts of work and conservation of energy.
Believe it or not, we've managed to turn learning about displacement-time graphs into a game (and a great game it is too!). This software is also a great teaching aid when describing the relationship between real-world motion and its graphical representation.
A motion simulator that helps pupils understand the relationship between real-world motion and how it is represented using displacement-time, velocity-time and acceleration-time graphs.
If you want your pupils to develop an intuitive feel for gravity and orbiting bodies then try this fantastic game from MiniClips. This is one homework assignment they'll be happy to complete.
A delightful animation depicting an example of a totally inelastic collision, a partially inelastic collision and a perfectly elastic collision.
Set up different driving conditions and see how your thinking and stopping distances are affected. You can select the weather and the condition of your car. You can even decide if you are sleepy or drunk!
Work out which factors affect thinking distance and stopping distance with this Venn diagram activity.
An addictive reaction test with loads of uses for practical work. This is a good one to use in conjunction with the stpping distances resource.I guarantee the kids will love it.
This gentle introduction to vectors helps your pupils understand what a vector is and how to represent them. The resource contains a set of tasks that can be undertaken at the interactive whiteboard.
An activity to teach pupils to identify scalar and vector quantities. Pupils are given a physical quantity and its definition which they must categorise as a scalar or vector. This resource also contains a word-gap exercise.
This powerful application allows the teacher to illustrate vector addition in several ways. The addition can be graphically visualised using free vectors, a common origin configuration, the parallelogram construct or vector chains. The addition can also be analysed numerically by a consideration of the horizontal and vertical components.
This simple resource visually illustrates how the sum of several vectors can be found by arranging them as a chain.
Energy (transfer and resources)
Explore the energy conversions that take place in different devices and calculate their efficiency.
This quiz tests knowledge about the different forms of energy and how they are converted from one form to another.
NOTE: This resource requires the latest Flash Player.
This simulation is useful for showing the mechanism of heat transfer and the relationship between temperature and the kinetic energy of the atoms. Draggable probes allow you to take the temperature at any point along the bar and the torch has several flame settings.
Not all materials conduct heat at the same rate. This simulation replicates the classic demonstration where pins are fixed to copper, aluminium and cast iron rods by blobs of wax: as the wax melts the pins fall. Note: this resource is no substitute for actually doing the experiment yourself in the lab!
Two lovely animations to show convection currents in a room and a refrigerator.
This animated power station illustrates how electricity is generated from nuclear energy and fossil fuels.
Learn how to interpret pie charts with this interactive resource. The finished pie chart can be shown in 2D or 3D and you have a handy protractor tool to help you figure out what colour to paint each sector.
Waves and optics
Use your knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum and inter-planetary flight to land your spaceship on the moon pads in the correct order.
A high energy quiz that requires coordination as well as knowledge. Ideal for the interactive whiteboard. This resource also includes a printable worksheet and a separate activity to help the teacher with marking.
Wave laboratory (improved)
Simply the best way to show your pupils what transverse and longitudinal waves really are. The application allows you to explore progressive and standing waves as well as reflection and interference. An outstanding whole-class teaching resource.
A Venn diagram activity to test your knowledge of the differences and similarities between light and sound waves.
This resource allows you to explore the interference patterns produced by two point sources.
Explore how the doppler effect changes the sound waves emitted by a red arrow jet plane. Fly the plane through the sound barrier and see the formation of the sonic cone.
Watch an ambulance drive past and hear the change in tone of the sirens, or see a jet plane scream past. Alternatively you can browse through our library of Doppler-shifted sounds (planes, trains and automobiles).
You have full control over the image ... colour it in and add or remove labels and arrows at the touch of a button. Simply click on individual labels and arrows to toggle them on or off (in this way the diagram can be simplified to suit any age group).
Mix coloured light and paint pigments with this classic simulation that allows you to explore the additive and subtractive colour models (requires a Java-enabled browser).
Play with coloured light and experiment with colour mixing and shadow. A lovely simulation (requires a Java-enabled browser).
An interactive model that allows the teacher to demonstrate that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection (also contains some student notes).
Students use their knowledge of reflection to position a balloon so that a laser beam reflected off a mirror will destroy it.
A lovely, interactive model to show how a virtual image is created with a plane mirror.
Use this open-ended tool to explore what happens to a ray of light as it passes from one medium to another.
The earth and beyond
This beautiful whole-class resource gives you a huge photographic globe of the Earth. Click on the arrows to rotate the globe clockwise or anti-clockwise. If you're not on broadband this resource may take a minute to download.
What better way to learn the facts and figures surrounding the planets than with this digital version of a classic game?
This classic game will help you learn and remember the vital statistics of the planets.
How well do you know the solar system? This resource contains whiteboard activities to order and name the planets correctly in addition to a database where you can compare the planet's vital statistics.
Use your knowledge of the planets of the solar system to land your spaceship on the moon pads in the correct order.
Show your class the dark side of the moon with this spectacular 3D photographic moon globe. Click on the arrows to rotate the globe clockwise or anti-clockwise.
Explore Newton's 1st law with this asteroid game
Notice how in deep space the vehicle's motion continues in the same state unless acted on by a force (the spaceship's thrusters). Use your knowledge of physics to guide the spaceship through the asteroid mine field.
Fly a rocket at amazing speeds and see how light waves are doppler shifted. By observing the light waves emitted by a space ship students learn about red and blue shift.
Follow in the footsteps of scientists by observing the hydrogen spectra from distant galaxies. What can you deduce about the motion of the galaxies?
This application allows you to view the expansion of the universe and take measurements.
If you know the expansion rate of the universe, you can run things backwards to estimate the age of the universe. This application does just that!
Electricity and magnetism
Illustrate the magnetic field surrounding a bar magnet with this interactive resource. Drag compasses around the screen to view the field direction at any point. You can decide whether to display iron filings or field lines or both. What more do you want?
Find out how much electrical energy is used by home appliances and find out how much they cost to run. This resource also includes printable materials.
Help your pupils to remember the basic circuit symbols with this pairs game.
Logic gates and electronic components are covered in this revision activity.
Investigate how a transformer works with this interactive resource. This resource includes printable materials.
A labelling activity and a worksheet to help teach your pupils how to wire a three-pin plug.
This animated power station illustrates how electricity is generated from nuclear energy and fossil fuels.
Matter, atoms and molecules
Build your own atom
A whole-class resource for teaching atomic structure and electron configuration. Pupils are presented with a mass number and atomic number and must then construct the atom. This resource is also ideal for exploring ions as well as ground states and excited states.
States of matter
A mathematical model that visually illustrates molecular motion in solids, liquids and gases. As you change the temperature you can observe such phenomena as evaporation, condensation, boiling and freezing.
A Venn diagram activity to test your knowledge of the different states of matter.
This diffusion simulation shows how some large particles dissolve and eventually spread out due to collisions between themselves and the surrounding smaller particles.
This simulation shows the random movement of large smoke particles as they are being bombarded by the fast moving molecules that make up the surrounding air.
A visual database explaining the difference between elements, compounds and mixtures.
A sorting game in which different substances fall from the sky. Your job is to direct them into the correct buckets.
An outstanding resource. Explore what happens when atoms bond. The visual tool beautifully illustrates covalent and ionic bonding in a wide range of substances. Includes a worksheet.
Nuclear physics
A feature-rich application to investigate the decay of short-lived radioactive materials and determine their half-lives. The simulation outputs tabular or graphical data in real-time that the pupils analyse to calculate the half-life. This resource includes complementary worksheets.
A clear animation and some slides describing the fission process.
Some simple slides to help you get the debate rolling.
A simple visual aid to show how far the different forms of radiation will travel through different materials.
General tools and fun stuff
If you're playing a game or a quiz and you need to keep score for several teams then this is the tool for you. Choose between a number of themes: 'Alien abduction', 'In your face' and 'Snail race'.
The aim of the game is to guess the answer with as few clues as possible. The sooner you get the answer the more points you get. But don't answer too soon because if you get it wrong you'll lose points.
Find out about the hazard symbols with this visual database (great for project work). This resource also contains a memory game to test how much the class knows about the hazard symbols.
A versatile resource that allows you to create your own pie chart in seconds. This powerful application has a host of features including a protractor and the ability to view your graph in 3D.
Timer
A new improved timer that now includes a countdown timer as well as a standard timer. Some of the alarm sounds are not for those of sensitive disposition. The time is given in Hours, minutes, seconds and hundredths of a second. Handy for timed tests, exams and activities.
Class minder
A digital assistant that keeps an eye on your class on those rare occasions when you have to pop out.
This powerful (yet simple to use) application allows you to create any 4 quadrant graph, grid or isometric paper. This may then be printed out for classwork or used as a background when using an interactive whiteboard. Brilliant.
