Safety Notice

These are virtual simulations designed for learning. Always follow your teacher's instructions and wear appropriate safety equipment when performing real laboratory experiments.

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Calorimetry Lab

Measure specific heat capacity using a virtual calorimeter with real-time temperature monitoring and energy calculations.

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Heat Transfer

Explore conduction, convection and radiation side by side with thermal imaging overlay and temperature probes.

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Greenhouse Effect

Adjust atmospheric CO2 and CH4 levels to observe their effect on Earth's surface temperature and energy balance.

Radioactive Decay

Observe random decay events, measure half-life and plot activity curves for different isotopes.

Nuclear Binding Energy

Build atomic nuclei and explore mass defect, binding energy per nucleon and nuclear stability.

Dc Circuit Builder

Build DC circuits with resistors, batteries and bulbs. Measure current and voltage at any point.

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Power Transmission

Simulate electrical power transmission with transformers. Optimise voltage and minimise power loss.

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Projectile Motion

Launch projectiles at different angles and speeds. Observe trajectories and measure range, height and flight time.

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Pendulum Lab

Investigate simple harmonic motion with an adjustable pendulum. Measure period and explore energy conservation.

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Collisions

Simulate elastic and inelastic collisions in 1D and 2D. Verify conservation of momentum and kinetic energy.

Inclined Plane

Explore forces on an inclined plane. Adjust angle, friction and mass to study acceleration and equilibrium.

Spring Mass

Investigate simple harmonic motion with springs. Explore period, amplitude, damping and energy exchange.

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Ripple Tank

Study wave interference, diffraction and refraction with adjustable barriers and sources.

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Snells Law

Trace light rays through different media. Measure angles and discover total internal reflection.

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Lens Mirror Optics

Ray tracing through lenses and mirrors. Find focal points, image distances and magnification.

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Polarisation

Explore light polarisation with virtual polaroid filters and verify Malus' law experimentally.

Electric Field

Place charges and map electric field lines and equipotential surfaces in real time.

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Magnetic Field

Explore magnetic fields from bar magnets, solenoids and current-carrying wires with virtual iron filings.

Motor Effect

Investigate the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field using F=BIL.

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Faradays Law

Move magnets through coils to generate electricity. Measure induced EMF and verify Faraday's law.

Ac Generator

Build and operate a virtual AC generator. Observe EMF waveforms and explore RMS values.

Charged Particle

Launch charged particles through electric and magnetic fields. Observe circular motion and velocity selection.

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Photoelectric Effect

Vary light frequency and intensity to measure stopping voltage, Planck's constant and work function.

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Double Slit

Observe wave-particle duality with the double-slit experiment including single-photon detection mode.

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Emission Spectra

Excite atoms and observe emission spectra through a virtual spectrometer. Identify elements by their spectral lines.

De Broglie Waves

Visualise matter waves. Adjust particle mass and velocity to explore the de Broglie wavelength.

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Mass Spectrometer

Operate a virtual mass spectrometer. Separate ions by mass-to-charge ratio and identify isotopes.

How to Use the Physics Playground

1

Choose an Experiment

Pick from 27 virtual experiments covering VCE Physics Units 1 to 4. Use the unit badges above to filter by topic.

2

Adjust Parameters

Use sliders and controls to change variables like angle, mass, voltage and frequency.

3

Observe and Learn

Watch real-time animations, read live measurements and see graphs update as the simulation runs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What experiments are available in the Physics Playground?

The Physics Playground includes 27 interactive virtual experiments spanning all four VCE units. Unit 1 covers Calorimetry, Heat Transfer, Greenhouse Effect, Radioactive Decay, Nuclear Binding Energy, DC Circuits and Power Transmission. Unit 2 includes Projectile Motion, Pendulum Lab, Collisions, Inclined Plane, Spring-Mass, Ripple Tank, Snell's Law, Lens and Mirror Optics, and Polarisation. Unit 3 features Electric Field Mapper, Magnetic Field Lab, Motor Effect, Faraday's Law, AC Generator, and Charged Particle in Fields. Unit 4 offers Photoelectric Effect, Double-Slit Experiment, Emission Spectra, De Broglie Waves, and Mass Spectrometer.

Is the Physics Playground aligned to the VCE Physics curriculum?

Yes. All experiments are aligned to the VCAA Physics Study Design (2023-2027) for Units 1 to 4. Each experiment covers key knowledge and skills assessed in VCE Physics.

Can I use this on a school Chromebook or tablet?

Yes. The Physics Playground works on any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. No plugins or downloads are required. All animations use lightweight Canvas 2D and SVG rendering.

Are these simulations a replacement for real lab work?

No. These virtual experiments are designed to supplement real laboratory work, not replace it. They are useful for previewing experiments, revision, and building understanding of concepts before or after performing real practicals.