Forces in 1 Dimension

For many, physics can be a difficult subject to understand. This is why theory lessons should always be followed by relevant visual examples that can demonstrate the concept in an interesting manner. Now, a lesson about forces shouldn’t be that hard to understand, since forces are the ones that make reality work the way it does. Nevertheless, Forces in 1 Dimension is an application that has the potential to make a physics class more interesting.

In this Java-animated application, you take the role of a wooden mannequin that likes to push things. You start by figuring out how to push a file cabinet, but after a few clicks and drags, you find that the cabinet is no match for you. You can move on to heavier things, like a refrigerator, or lighter things, like a crate or textbook.

After you feel like you master the art of pushing, you can take on the ultimate challenge: pushing a sleepy dog. No, it won’t wake up, bark or bite you, but you can tell that the developers have an absurd sense of humor. Even if this isn’t a game and the animation is less than basic, you can always activate the barriers and start crashing objects into the wall (yes, even the poor dog).

When pushing objects, the forces at work (such as the applied force and the friction) will be graphically represented by arrows. If you want to learn more about these, you can always activate the graph tools and analyze the curves.

You probably won’t be able to learn a lot about the forces all by yourself; after all, Forces in 1 Dimension is an educational app that should be used in class. Nevertheless, a good teacher should make good use it.