This animation illustrates Snell’s law of refraction at a curved interface between two optical media. An interactively positionable light ray strikes the surface and is both reflected and refracted, depending on the adjustable refractive index of the second medium. The angular relationships between the incident, reflected, and refracted rays are visualized through dynamic angle markers.… Read More »
The following animation illustrates the crank mechanism – the fundamental linkage for converting rotational motion into linear motion. Crank angle, connecting rod inclination, and piston position are visualized in real time. Links Animation Description The animation shows a crank mechanism consisting of a crank, connecting rod, and piston. The play button starts continuous rotation, causing… Read More »
This animation simulates the chaotic behavior of a double pendulum – one of the most famous examples of deterministic chaos systems. Two coupled pendulum arms with adjustable lengths and masses swing under the influence of gravity. By interactively dragging the masses, any starting position can be set, while an angle-time diagram records the temporal evolution… Read More »
The animation compares the oscillation behavior of two spring-mass systems: one without damping (harmonic oscillation) and one with damping (damped oscillation). Amplitude, frequency, and damping constant can be varied interactively, while the resulting motions are displayed both mechanically and in a time diagram. Links Description of the Animation The animation visualizes two fundamental types of… Read More »
A calming screensaver with gently floating circles, pulsating breathing elements, and atmospheric particle effects. The wave-like movements and smooth color transitions invite relaxation – interactive through mouse movements and click ripple effects. Links Description of the animation The animation shows a meditative space with multiple visual layers that harmoniously blend into one another: Overview Title… Read More »
The following animation illustrates the behavior of a series RLC circuit in an AC circuit. Impedance, phase shift, and resonance behavior are visualized in real time. Links Animation Description The animation shows a series RLC circuit with four synchronized displays: circuit diagram, formulas, phasor diagram, and time-domain graph. The animation can be started using the… Read More »
The following animation illustrates the principle of electromagnetic induction. A conductor is moved through a magnetic field, with the induced voltage displayed in real time. Links Description of the Animation Move the gray conductor horizontally through the magnetic field of the horseshoe magnet. The current direction is indicated by a red symbol: A dot means… Read More »
The animation illustrates the principle of Fourier synthesis: Complex periodic waveforms can be generated by superposition of simple sine waves (harmonics). Interactively, the number of harmonics can be varied and different target waveforms can be selected. Links Description of the animation The animation visualizes the Fourier series, which allows periodic functions to be represented as… Read More »
The animation simulates the physical behavior of ice cubes in a glass of water. By clicking or using a button, ice cubes can be created that fall into the water, submerge, and float to the surface due to buoyancy—an illustrative example of Archimedes’ principle. Links Description of the Animation The animation shows a glass filled… Read More »
The animation simulates the gravitational force between celestial bodies. Planets with different masses and initial velocities attract each other, form orbits, and can merge upon collision – an interactive model for exploring Newtonian gravitation. Links Description of the animation The animation shows a space with freely placeable planets that attract each other according to Newton’s… Read More »