Physlet® Physics Newton's Laws Illustrations JS Package Documents

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Main Document

Physlet® Physics Newton's Laws Illustrations Package 

written by Wolfgang Christian, Mario Belloni, and Jack Taylor

The Physlet® Physics Newton's Laws Illustrations Package contains JavaScript adaptations of Physlet Illustrations from Physlet Physics Chapter 4.  In this package we explain why objects move or do not move using the concept of force.  Students need to interact with the Physlet, but the answers to the questions posed in the Illustration are given or are easily determined from interacting with it. Some Illustrations provide examples of physics applications while others are designed to introduce a particular kinematics concept. Typical uses of Illustrations would include reading assignments prior to class and classroom demonstrations.

The Physlet® Physics Newton's Laws Illustrations Package was developed using the Easy Java/JavaScript Simulations (EjsS) version 5.  Although EjsS is a Java program, it can create stand-alone JavaScript programs that run in almost any PC or tablet.

Published January 22, 2017
Last Modified January 22, 2017

Supplemental Documents (6)

Newton's First Law and Frames of Reference 

A ball popper on a cart (not shown to scale) is shown moving on a track in three different animations. In each animation the ball is ejected straight up by the popper mechanism at t = 1 s.  What would the motion of this ball and cart look like in different reference frames?

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Ill 4.2: Free-Body Diagrams 

This illustration demonstrates how we analyze the motion of an object using forces.  We draw a picture that shows only the object and the direction of the forces known as a free-body diagram. This Illustration analyzes the forces on a block in the x direction and then the forces in the y direction as it is pushed by an external force.

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Ill 4.3: Newton's Second Law and Force 

A force is a push, a pull, or any other interaction, exerted by one object on another object. In this Illustration the user interacts with a 1.0-kg cart and observes the motion.  Velocity and acceleration graphs are also displayed.

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Ill 4.4: Mass on an Incline 

A mass is on a frictionless incline as shown in the animation. Users adjust m, the mass of the block (100 grams < m < 500 grams), and ? the angle of the incline (10° < ? < 45°), and view how these changes affect the motion of the mass.

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Ill 4.5: Pull Your Wagons 

Two toy wagons, attached by a lightweight rope (of negligible mass), are pulled with a constant force using another lightweight rope (again of negligible mass).  What is the force of the hand on the rope? What is the force of the red wagon on the rope?  To answer these questions, you must define the system that you are considering and apply Newton's second law.

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Ill 4.6: Newton's Third Law and Contact Forces 

This Illustration shows graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time for a 2-kg red block pushed by a 12-N force on a frictionless horizontal surface. The red block is in contact with (and therefore pushes on) the green 1-kg block. Determine what contact forces are required to make the motion of the blocks physical.

Last Modified January 22, 2017

Source Code Documents

PP CH04 Illustrations Source Code 

JavaScript EJS Newton's Laws Illustrations source code.

Last Modified October 28, 2023