Anmedura Labs

Anmedura Labs

Physics you can poke.

Interactive physics experiments that build from motion and vectors to collisions, center of mass, orbits, barycenters, waves, light, electric fields, circuits, magnetic fields, induction, electromagnetic waves, relativity, muons, causality, and sandbox experiments.

Start simple. Build up. Test the weird stuff yourself.

View Learning Path

How to use

  1. Move the sliders.
  2. Watch the visual.
  3. Check the readouts.
  4. Compare the equation with what changed.
  5. Try the challenge.

Learning Path

Build the picture in order.

Each lab is live, self-contained, and meant to be poked before it is memorized.

Glossary

Small words, sharp meanings.

Position
Where something is.
Velocity
How fast position changes, with direction.
Acceleration
How fast velocity changes.
Vector
A quantity with size and direction.
Force
A push or pull that changes motion.
Momentum
Mass times velocity; a vector-like measure of motion.
Center of mass
Weighted average position of a system; the balance point for mass distribution.
Elastic collision
A collision where kinetic energy is conserved.
Inelastic collision
A collision where kinetic energy changes form, but momentum is still conserved for the isolated system.
Energy
The capacity to make motion or change.
Orbit
Continuous falling around a central body.
Barycenter
The shared center of mass that orbiting bodies move around.
Binary system
Two bodies orbiting their shared barycenter.
N-body problem
Motion of three or more bodies that all pull on each other.
Softening
A small numerical cushion that prevents gravity from exploding at tiny distances.
Slingshot
A close gravitational encounter that changes an object's speed and direction.
Escape speed
Speed needed to leave without falling back.
Gravitational potential energy
Energy from position in a gravitational field.
Field
A value assigned throughout space.
Electric field
Force per positive test charge at each point in space.
Electric potential
Scalar value related to electric potential energy per charge.
Test charge
Small charge used to probe a field.
Voltage
Electric potential difference; the push that can drive current.
Current
Rate of charge flow.
Resistance
Opposition to current.
Power
Energy used per second.
Series circuit
Circuit path where components are connected one after another.
Parallel circuit
Circuit with multiple current paths.
Magnetic field
Vector field that can exert sideways force on moving charges and currents.
Lorentz force
Force on a charge due to electric and magnetic fields; here we focus on magnetic force.
Right-hand rule
Hand rule for magnetic-field direction around conventional current.
Magnetic flux
Amount of magnetic field passing through an area.
Electromagnetic induction
Creation of voltage from changing magnetic flux.
Faraday's law
Changing magnetic flux induces voltage.
Lenz's law
Induced current opposes the change that caused it.
Generator
Device that turns motion into electrical energy using induction.
Electromagnetic wave
Traveling wave made of linked electric and magnetic fields.
Polarization
Direction of electric-field oscillation in an electromagnetic wave.
Intensity
Energy flow per area; in this teaching model it grows with amplitude squared.
Poynting direction
Direction of electromagnetic energy flow, given by E x B.
Frequency
How many cycles happen per second.
Wavelength
Distance from one wave crest to the next.
Speed of light
The vacuum speed limit for signals.
Gamma
Another name for the Lorentz factor.
Lorentz factor
The relativity factor for time dilation and length contraction.
Proper time
Time along an object's own path through spacetime.
Event
One happening at one place and time.
Light cone
The boundary of what light can reach.
Causality
The rule for which events can influence others.