PhET Interactive Simulations

Outcomes:

• Describe how the concept of density relates to an object's mass and volume.
• Explain how objects of similar mass can have differing volume, and how objects of similar volume can have differing mass.
• Explain why changing an object's mass or volume does not affect its density (ie, understand density as an intensive property).
• Measure the volume of an object by observing the amount of fluid it displaces.
• Identify an unknown material by calculating its density and comparing to a table of known densities.

Outcomes:

• Determine if a liquid is acidic, basic, or neutral
• Place acids or bases in relative order
• Describe on a molecular scale, with illustrations, how the water equilibrium varies with pH
• Determine concentration of hydroxide, hydronium and water at a given pH
• Relate liquid color to pH
• Predict (qualitatively and quantitatively) how dilution and volume will affect the pH and concentration of hydroxide, hydronium and water

Outcomes:

• Design a diet and exercise regimen.
• Estimate the number of calories required for basic survival.
• Estimate the number of calories burned by exercise.
• Explain how heart health depends on diet and exercise.
• Explain how Body Mass Index (BMI) depends on weight and height.

Outcomes:

• Determine what color the person sees for various combinations of red, green, and blue light.
• Describe the color of light that is able to pass through different colored filters.

Outcomes:

• Determine which mutations are favored by the selection agents of predators and food variety and which mutations are neutral.
• Describe which traits change the survivability of an organism in different environments.
• Experiment with environments which produce a stable population of bunnies, a population that dies out, and a population that takes over the world.
• Track genes through multiple generations.
• Compare how dominant and recessive genes get passed onto offspring.

• Make waves with water, sound, and light and see how they are related.
• Discuss wave properties using common vocabulary.
• Explain how changing the frequency and amplitude affects the characteristics of the wave.
• Design an experiment to measure the speed of the wave.

• Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic energy (KE) and gravitational potential energy (PE).
• Describe how the Energy Bar and Pie Charts relate to position and speed.
• Explain how changing the Skater Mass affects energy.
• Explain how changing the Track Friction affects energy.
• Predict position or estimate speed from Energy Bar and Pie Charts.
• Calculate speed or height at one position from information about a different position.
• Calculate KE and PE at one position from information about a different position.
• Design a skate park using the concepts of mechanical energy and energy conservation.

• Predict, qualitatively, how an external force will affect the speed and direction of an object's motion.
• Explain the effects with the help of a free body diagram.
• Use free body diagrams to draw position, velocity, acceleration and force graphs and vice versa.
• Explain how the graphs relate to one another.
• Given a scenario or a graph, sketch all four graphs.

• Explore basic electricity relationships.
• Explain basic electricity relationships in series and parallel circuits.
• Use an ammeter and voltmeter to take readings in circuits.
• Provide reasoning to explain the measurements and relationships in circuits.
• Build circuits from schematic drawings.
• Determine if common objects are conductors or insulators.

• Explain basic electricity relationships in series and parallel circuits.
• Use an ammeter and voltmeter to take readings in circuits.
• Provide reasoning to explain the measurements and relationships in circuits.
• Build circuits from schematic drawings.
• Determine if common objects are conductors or insulators.
• Compare and contrast AC and DC circuits.
• Describe how capacitors and inductors behave in a circuit.
• Experimentally determine the RC time constant.
• Construct RLC circuits and determine the conditions for resonance.