Interactive Physics II

Interactive Physics II is a software package that enables physics problems to be simulated by a computer. A few simulations have been prepared, but feel free to use Interactive Physics to create your own simulations. You can even use it to solve homework problems! The easiest way to do this is to take one of the prepared simulations and modify it. If you need any help in modifying a simulation, talk to Professor Duffy in room 109A.

The Interactive Physics II program is available on both computers in the undergraduate resource room, in the Applications folder. Manuals for it are also available, and you'll need one when you first start the program because it will ask you a question before it will allow you to run the program, something like "What is the first menu item discussed on page 46?".

The prepared simulations for PY106 can also be found in the Applications folder on either Macintosh in the resource room. They're in a folder titled "PY 106 " .

The prepared simulations include:

• Charged Dipole - look at how a dipole reacts to another charge in its vicinity
• Coulomb's Law - examine the electrostatic force between two charges
• Coulomb's Law with 3 - examine the electrostatic force when there are three charges.
• Hit the box - fire a positive charge through a set of 4 positive charges to hit a box on the far side.
• Hit the box II - fire a positive charge through a set of 4 negative charges, which will attract the positive charge, to hit the box.
• Momentum of charged particles - a conservation of energy and momentum problem using two charges