Classroom simulations

Engage students and demonstrate topics in senior physics with these interactive digital simulations. The simulations directly complement existing Perimeter classroom resources as noted below. To learn more about incorporating digital simulations in your teaching, you may wish to consult our Tools for Teaching Science resource.

Double-slit experiment simulations

Students can explore the double-slit experiment and investigate the nature of classical particles, classical waves, light, and electrons through this series of four simulations. The simulations can be used to illustrate the results of the experiment in each case and advanced controls allow the user to modify the screen distance, slit separation, wavelength, and energy. The simulations are related to Activity 4 in The Challenge of Quantum Reality classroom resource, available to download for free from our Resource Centre.

Screenshot of animation showing tennis balls passing through one wall and bouncing off the next

Double-slit experiment with tennis balls (classical particles)

Screenshot of animation showing waves pass through one wall and hit the next

Double-slit experiment with water waves (classical waves)

Screenshot of animation showing a laser beam passing through slits on a wall and hitting the next

Double-slit experiment with light

Screenshot of animation showing light balls passing through slits on a wall and hitting the next

Double-slit experiment with electrons

Quantum Nature of Light

Students can explore the quantum nature of light through these simulations that illustrate how the behaviour of light cannot be explained solely with a classical, wave model. The simulations can be used for online teaching and are related to our Investigating Planck's Constant with LEDs classroom resource, available to download for free from our Resource Centre.

Screenshot of an animation that shows tiny dots moving across the screen

Photoelectric effect

Students will observe light waves behaving like particles as they investigate how the kinetic energy of electrons ejected from a metal surface is related to the frequency of incident light. Students can use data collected from the simulation to create a graph of the kinetic energy of the electrons versus the frequency of light. The maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons is found by measuring the reverse potential difference applied across the phototube that stops the flow of ejected electrons (cutoff potential).

Screenshot of an animation showing a small stack of coloured LED light bulbs

LEDs and Planck’s Constant

Students can observe LEDs in a simple circuit and make measurements to determine Planck’s constant, a fundamental and important constant in quantum mechanics. Students can adjust the settings to find the threshold voltage - the voltage where the LEDs just start to light up. A graph of the voltage versus the frequency of light will allow them to determine Planck’s constant using e∆V=hf.