Exploration 4.2: Change the Two Forces Applied
Please wait for the animation to completely load.
Drag either of the crosshair cursors or the ball (position is given in centimeters and time is given in seconds). The cursors each exert a constant force on the black ball (either attraction or repulsion) if they are within 10 cm of the ball. When the ball hits a wall, the wall exerts a force on the ball causing it to recoil. The green and red arrows display the forces due to each cursor, and the blue arrow represents the net force. Restart.
For attraction and repulsion, drag the black ball around to see the net force. When you get the ball in a "good" spot, click the "play" button to see the effect of the forces on the ball. Briefly explain how and why the ball moves according to the forces applied.
Physlets were developed at Davidson College and converted from Java to JavaScript using the SwingJS system developed at St. Olaf College.
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