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Simulation Lab

Change something. See what happens.

Every simulation follows the same cycle: observe it, change the variables, predict what will happen, run the experiment, then read the explanation.

AllPhysicsChemistryBiologyICTMathematics
Physics

Projectile motion

Launch a ball and watch how the horizontal and vertical motions behave independently. Change the speed, angle and gravity.

  • Independence of horizontal and vertical motion
  • Acceleration due to gravity
  • Range and maximum height
1.2 Motion
Physics

Moments and balance

Hang masses on a pivoted beam and find the balance point. The clockwise and anticlockwise moments are calculated live.

  • Moment = force × perpendicular distance
  • Principle of moments
  • Equilibrium
1.5 Forces
Physics

Gas particles and pressure

Squeeze a container of gas or heat it, and count the collisions with the walls that create the pressure.

  • Kinetic particle model
  • Pressure from collisions
  • p₁V₁ = p₂V₂
2.1 Kinetic particle model of matter
Physics

Wave machine

Adjust frequency, amplitude and wave speed, and read wavelength straight off the display. Compare transverse and longitudinal waves.

  • v = fλ
  • Amplitude and wavelength
  • Transverse vs longitudinal
3.1 General properties of waves
Physics

Refraction and total internal reflection

Shine a ray into a glass block, vary the angle of incidence and find the critical angle for yourself.

  • n = sin i / sin r
  • Critical angle
  • Total internal reflection
3.2 Light
Physics

Ohm's law and I–V graphs

Sweep the voltage across a resistor, a filament lamp or a diode and plot the I–V characteristic live.

  • V = IR
  • Non-ohmic components
  • I–V characteristics
4.2 Electrical quantities
Physics

Series and parallel circuits

Wire resistors in series or parallel and watch the total resistance, current and branch currents update.

  • Series and parallel resistance
  • Current in branches
  • Potential difference sharing
4.3 Electric circuits
Physics

Radioactive decay and half-life

Watch a sample of unstable nuclei decay at random and measure the half-life from the decay curve.

  • Random decay
  • Half-life
  • Decay curves
5.2 Radioactivity
Physics

Solar System in 3D

Orbit the Sun in three dimensions. Compare orbital radii and periods, and see why outer planets take longer.

  • Orbits and gravity
  • Orbital period
  • v = 2πr / T
6.1 Earth and the Solar System
Chemistry

States of matter

Heat and cool a substance and watch the particles change arrangement, separation and motion in real time.

  • Particle arrangement
  • Changes of state
  • Temperature and kinetic energy
1.1 Solids, liquids and gases
Chemistry

Diffusion tube

Recreate the ammonia and hydrogen chloride experiment and predict where the white ring will form.

  • Diffusion
  • Relative molecular mass and speed
  • Random particle motion
1.2 Diffusion
Chemistry

Electron shells

Build any of the first 20 atoms and see its electronic configuration, group and period appear.

  • Electronic configuration
  • Group and period
  • Shell capacities 2, 8, 8, 2
2.2 Atomic structure and the Periodic Table
Chemistry

3D molecule viewer

Rotate common IGCSE molecules in three dimensions and count the shared electron pairs in each bond.

  • Covalent bonding
  • Molecular shape
  • Shared electron pairs
2.5 Simple molecules and covalent bonds
Chemistry

Electrolysis cell

Choose an electrolyte and watch the ions migrate, then check the products predicted at each electrode.

  • Ion migration
  • Anode and cathode products
  • Half equations
4.1 Electrolysis
Chemistry

Rate of reaction lab

Change concentration, temperature and surface area, then compare the gas-volume curves side by side.

  • Collision theory
  • Factors affecting rate
  • Interpreting rate graphs
6.2 Rate of reaction
Chemistry

Titration and pH

Add alkali to acid drop by drop and watch the pH curve and indicator colour change.

  • Neutralisation
  • pH scale
  • Titration curves
7.1 The characteristic properties of acids and bases
Biology

Osmosis in potato cylinders

Change the sucrose concentration outside the cells and watch water move in or out. Find the concentration at which nothing changes.

  • Osmosis
  • Partially permeable membranes
  • Turgid and flaccid cells
3.1 Diffusion and osmosis
Biology

Enzyme activity

Vary temperature and pH and watch the active site distort as the enzyme denatures — and why cooling it down again does not help.

  • Lock-and-key model
  • Optimum temperature and pH
  • Denaturation
5.1 Enzyme action and factors affecting it
Biology

Limiting factors

Change light, carbon dioxide and temperature, and see which one is actually holding the rate back at any moment.

  • Limiting factors
  • Rate graphs and plateaus
  • Photosynthesis
6.1 Photosynthesis and limiting factors
ICT

Validation checker

Type a value and see which validation checks it passes — then find the wrong-but-valid entry that every check lets through.

  • Validation checks
  • Verification
  • Why the two are different
18.2 Validation and verification
ICT

Spreadsheet references

Replicate a formula down a column with and without dollar signs, and watch the tax rate silently walk off into empty cells.

  • Relative references
  • Absolute references
  • Replicating formulae
20.1 Formulae, functions and cell references
Mathematics

Quadratic explorer

Move a, b and c and watch the roots appear and disappear exactly as the sign of the discriminant changes.

  • Solving quadratics
  • The discriminant
  • Roots, vertex and intercepts
2.5 Solving quadratic equations
Mathematics

Circle theorems

Move a point around the circle and watch the angle at the circumference refuse to change while the centre angle stays exactly double.

  • Angle at the centre
  • Angles in the same segment
  • Angle in a semicircle
4.2 Circle theorems
Mathematics

Transformations

Translate, reflect, rotate and enlarge a shape, with the full description an examiner wants shown alongside.

  • Translation vectors
  • Mirror lines
  • Centre and angle of rotation
7.1 Transformations

Planned

These are mapped to the syllabus and listed here for transparency, but the interactive versions have not been built yet. They are not clickable, because a button that does nothing is worse than an honest gap.
PhysicsPlanned

Resultant force and acceleration

Apply forces to a trolley and observe the resultant force, acceleration and motion that follow from F = ma.

PhysicsPlanned

Energy transfer track

Follow a mass along a track and watch kinetic and gravitational potential stores exchange energy.

PhysicsPlanned

Pressure and depth

Change the depth and liquid density and see how the pressure at a point changes.

PhysicsPlanned

Electromagnetic induction

Move a magnet through a coil and see the induced e.m.f. respond to speed, turns and field strength.

ChemistryPlanned

Ionic bonding

Transfer electrons between a metal and a non-metal atom and watch the ions and lattice form.