PhET interactive simulations for science and maths

The PhET project at the University of Colorado Boulder offers hundreds of free interactive simulations in physics, chemistry, biology, earth science and mathematics. A simulation here is an interactive experiment that runs in the browser: you drag a magnet and watch an electric current appear, change the temperature and see gas molecules move, build an electric circuit and measure its voltage and current, or explore fractions with coloured pieces. That turns the abstract ideas of the school textbook into something students can see and control themselves. Many of the simulations are translated into Arabic, and the project’s Arabic page gathers them in one place.

What you will find

• Physics simulations on motion, forces, energy, electricity, magnetism, waves and light.
• Chemistry simulations such as building atoms and molecules, reactions, solutions, and acids and bases.
• Biology and earth science simulations, such as natural selection, genes and the greenhouse effect.
• Mathematics simulations for different stages, from fractions and numbers to functions and graphs.
• Teacher materials on many simulations’ pages, some prepared by teachers around the world.

Who it suits

It suits primary, preparatory and secondary-school students, each at their own level, since the simulations are grouped by school stage and subject. It suits teachers especially, who can show a simulation in class or set students experiments on it at home – particularly in schools without a well-equipped laboratory. Parents can also use it with their children to understand a difficult lesson.

How to use it, step by step

1. Choose the subject and school stage, then look for the topic you are studying now.
2. Explore the simulation freely for a few minutes before looking for specific answers.
3. Write a question before experimenting – for example, what happens to the current if I increase the resistance? – then check your answer with the simulation.
4. Compare what you see in the simulation with the textbook, and write your observations in your notebook.
5. Finally, explain what you discovered to a classmate or a parent – explaining an idea to someone else is one of the best ways to fix it in your mind.

Before you start

PhET simulations are published under the Creative Commons licence CC BY 4.0, which means they may be used and shared with credit to the source. Most run in the browser on a computer or tablet with nothing to install, while some older ones need extra software. They complement teaching and real experiments rather than replacing them. The content and its rights belong to the PhET project at the University of Colorado Boulder.