Interactive and Experiential Science Tools

Utility: Dihybrid Punnett Square Maker

A Punnett Square is a visual representation of Mendelian inheritance. It is a table consisting of possible combinations of the parent alleles, which can be used to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype for a given trait.

A monohybrid cross involves the crossing of parent alleles for a single trait and the resulting Punnett square lists the possible genotypes of the offspring for the given single trait.

A dihybrid cross involves the crossing of parent alleles for two independent traits and the resulting Punnett square is a 4x4 grid, which lists all possible allele combinations for the offspring describing the given two traits.

Mendel's law of independent assortment states that the alleles for separate traits are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring. The biological selection of an allele for one trait is not influenced by (or influences) the selection of an allele for any other trait. A dihybrid cross reaffirms Mendel's law of independent assortment.

This utility creates a dihybrid Punnett square based on the allele symbols entered by you for each parent, for two different traits.

Utility: Dihybrid Punnett Square Dice - Random Parent-Child Alleles Generator

A Punnett Square is a visual representation of Mendelian inheritance. It is a table consisting of possible combinations of the parent alleles, which can be used to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype for a given trait.

A dihybrid cross involves the crossing of parent alleles for two independent traits and the resulting Punnett square is a 4x4 grid, which lists all possible allele combinations for the offspring describing the given two traits.

Mendel's law of independent assortment states that alleles for separate traits are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring. The biological selection of an allele for one trait is not influenced by (or influences) the selection of an allele for any other trait. A dihybrid cross reaffirms Mendel's law of independent assortment.

This random generator utility, like a dice, keeps regenerating the Punnett square with a new set of parents having different alleles each time for the two independent traits. Out of the sixteen possible allele combinations for the child, one allele combination is selected randomly. This is a great utility for the classroom or for projects, where you need to create data for Mendelian inheritance.

DIY Newton's Second Law - Modified Atwood Machine 2 (with friction)

Newton's second law can be summed up as:
Σ Force = mass x acceleration
Accordingly, a net force acting on an object will cause it to accelerate in the direction of the net force.

This interactive features a modified Atwood machine having two masses (objects) connected by a string, which is moving over a pulley. Object A rests on a surface, while Object B hangs freely. Since the two objects are connected by a taut string, both experience the same acceleration arising due to the net force acting on each object.

To begin with, object A can move only if: |W_aX| - |T| > F_S
Where, T is the tension (force) in the string; W_aX is the component of the weight of object A along the direction of the surface, when inclined; F_S is the static friction (force) between object A and the surface on which it rests.

If object A is moving, there are two possibilities:
(1) If |T| > |W_aX|, then summation of forces, with sign:
Σ F_a = T - W_aX - F_K = m_a . a (object A moves right)

(2) If |T| < |W_aX|, then summation of forces, with sign:
Σ F_a = T - W_aX + F_K = m_a . a (object A moves left)
F_K is the kinetic friction (force) between object A and the surface, always acting opposite to the direction of motion.

Net force (with sign) on object B in both cases is:
Σ F_b = W_b - T = m_b . a

DIY Sonar - Mapping Underwater Depth 2 (with depth adjustment)

Sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging) is a technique that uses propagation and reflection of sound waves to navigate or detect objects, usually under water.

An active sonar uses a transmitter to create a pulse of sound (called ping), which propagates through water and gets reflected (echo) when it hits an obstruction. The total time taken for transmission and reflection of the ping indicates the distance of the obstruction from the sonar transreceiver.

This interactive lets you specify heights of some cement columns constructed at the base of a shallow lake. A drone submarine fitted with a sonar device then moves below the lake surface and uses sound pulses (pings) to determine the depth of each cement column below the surface of the water.

The velocity of sound in water is approximately 1500 m/s. The duration of the ping echo is measured in milliseconds, where 1 second = 1000 milliseconds (ms).

For example, if the total travel time taken to transmit and receive a ping is 9.334 ms, the distance would be:
Distance = Velocity x Travel Time = 1500 x (9.334/1000) = 14 m
Since the ping travels to the object and is reflected back, it travels twice the distance, hence the actual distance up to the object is half the distance traveled by the ping.
Actual Distance = Ping Distance/2 = 14/2 = 7 m

DIY - Ideal gas law - Effect of moles of gas on its volume based on Avogadro's law

This interactive investigates the effect of the change in the amount (moles) of gas on the volume of gas in an enclosed container, with temperature and pressure remaining constant.

In this case, it is assumed that the relationship between volume, pressure, moles, and temperature of the gas is governed by the ideal gas law, PV = nRT.

The relationship between the amount (moles) and the volume of gas is described by Avogadro's law, which states that the volume and the amount of gas are directly proportional if the temperature and pressure are held constant.

The activity involves changing the amount (moles) of an ideal gas over time to observe the corresponding change in volume, for a given constant temperature and constant pressure. Compare the effect of a gradual increase in the moles of gas on its volume across two trials.

DIY PE-KE Energy Conversion 1 - Roller Coaster

Gravitational potential energy (GPE) is the energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field.
GPE = m.g.h
The gravitational potential energy possessed by an object is determined by its mass (m), the gravitational acceleration (g) at the location and the height (h) of the object above a reference baseline (usually surface of the earth, but not necessarily), which is considered to be at height = 0.
Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy of an object due to its motion.
KE = ½ m.v2
The kinetic energy of an object is independent of the position and depends on the mass (m) and the rate of change of position of the object i.e. its velocity (v).

Energy can be converted from one form to another. For e.g, in the case of a ball falling from a height, its potential energy converts into kinetic energy as the ball continues to fall down (assuming effects of friction are negligible).

This interactive investigates the effect of mass and height on the potential energy of a roller coaster car and how it converts into kinetic energy as it glides down the track. The activity consists of two trials, where you can set the mass and height of a roller coaster for each trial and compare the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy between the two trials.

DIY PE-KE Energy Conversion 2 - Roller Coaster on Different Planets

Gravitational potential energy (GPE) is the energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field.
GPE = m.g.h
The gravitational potential energy possessed by an object is determined by its mass (m), the gravitational acceleration (g) at the location and the height (h) of the object above a reference baseline (usually surface of the earth, but not necessarily), which is considered to be at height = 0.
Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy of an object due to its motion.
KE = ½ m.v2
The kinetic energy of an object is independent of the position and depends on the mass (m) and the rate of change of position of the object i.e. its velocity (v).

Energy can be converted from one form to another. For e.g, in the case of a ball falling from a height, its potential energy converts into kinetic energy as the ball continues to fall down (assuming effects of friction are negligible).

This interactive investigates the effect of mass and height on the potential energy of a roller coaster car and how it converts into kinetic energy as it glides down the track. You can also conduct an imaginary experiment to investigate effect of gravitation acceleration (g) by transporting the roller coaster to either the Moon or the planet Mars. You can even go to a fictitious planet whose value of g can be set by you.

Homeostasis - Effect of Water Temperature on Goldfish Respiration Rate

Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in the external environment. Some examples of homeostasis include the regulation of the organism's body temperature, the pH of its extracellular fluids, glucose concentration, etc.

The domestic goldfish (Carassius auratus), like most fishes, are poikilothermic, which means its body temperature changes with the ambient temperature of the water around it. One way by which a goldfish responds to the changes in the ambient temperature by regulating its rate of respiration (breathing).

This interactive investigates the effect of the temperature of the surrounding water on the respiration rate of a goldfish. The activity involves reducing the temperature of the water very gradually, in steps of 1°C at a time. The temperature is then held constant until the goldfish has regulated and stabilized its respiration rate in response to the new ambient temperature.

The goldfish's rate of respiration can be determined by either counting the number of times the fish opens and closes its mouth or by counting the number of times its gills contract during a given unit of time.

Utility: Monohybrid Punnett Square Dice - Random Parent-Child Alleles Generator

A Punnett Square is a visual representation of Mendelian inheritance. It is a table consisting of possible combinations of the parent alleles, which can be used to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype for a given trait.

A monohybrid cross involves crossing of the parent alleles for a single trait and the resulting Punnett square lists the possible genotypes of the offspring for the given single trait.

This random generator utility, like a dice, keeps regenerating the Punnett square with a new set of parents having different alleles each time. Out of the four possible allele combinations for the child, one set of alleles is selected randomly. This is a great utility for the classroom or for projects, where you need to create data for Mendelian inheritance.

DIY Newton's Second Law - Modified Atwood Machine 1 (no friction)

Newton's second law can be summed up as:

Σ Force = mass x acceleration

Accordingly, a net force acting on an object will cause it to accelerate in the direction of the force.

This interactive features a modified Atwood machine having two masses (objects) connected to each other by a string, which is moving over a pulley. One of the masses (object A) rests on a surface, while the other one (object B) hangs freely. The string and the pulley are assumed to be massless and frictionless. The surface over which object A is moving is also considered to be frictionless.

Since the two objects are connected by a taut string, both experience the same acceleration arising due to the net force acting on each object.

Σ F_a = W_aX + T = m_a . a
Σ F_b = W_b + T = m_b . a
Where, T is the tension in the string, and W_aX is the component of the weight of object A along the direction of the surface, when inclined. If W_aX>T, object A will accelerate towards left. If T>W_aX, object A will accelerate towards right.

DIY Sonar - Mapping Underwater Depth 1

Sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging) is a technique that uses propagation and reflection of sound waves to navigate or detect objects, usually under water.

An active sonar uses a transmitter to create a pulse of sound (called ping), which propagates through water and gets reflected (echo) when it hits an obstruction. The total time taken for transmission and reflection of the ping indicates the distance of the obstruction from the sonar.

This interactive lets you specify heights of some cement columns constructed at the base of a shallow lake. A drone ship fitted with a sonar device then moves through the lake and uses sound pulses (pings) to determine the depth of each cement column below the surface of water.

The velocity of sound in water is approximately 1500 m/s. The duration of the ping echo is measured in milliseconds, where 1 second = 1000 milliseconds (ms).

For example, if the total travel time taken to transmit and receive a ping is 9.334 ms, the distance would be:
Distance = Velocity x Travel Time = 1500 x (9.334/1000) = 14 m
Since the ping travels to the object and is reflected back, it travels twice the distance, hence the actual distance up to the object is half the distance traveled by the ping.
Actual Distance = Ping Distance/2 = 14/2 = 7 m

DIY Simple Electric Circuit Building Challenge 1 - Series Circuit

This interactive consists of five challenges, which require you to build a simple electric series circuit according to the given requirements. Each challenge involves two steps:

Step 1
Build the circuit by connecting the devices mentioned in the question. Once the circuit is complete, click the DONE button. If the circuit is correct, proceed to step 2, else click TRY AGAIN and modify the circuit.

Step 2
If the circuit includes one or more switches, click on each switch and observe how the circuit works.

DIY Simple Electric Circuit Building Challenge 2 - Parallel Circuit

This interactive consists of five challenges, which require you to build a simple electric parallel circuit according to the given requirements. Each challenge involves two steps:

Step 1
Build the circuit by connecting the devices mentioned in the question. Once the circuit is complete, click the DONE button. If the circuit is correct, proceed to step 2, else click TRY AGAIN and modify the circuit.

Step 2
If the circuit includes one or more switches, click on each switch and observe how the circuit works.

Utility: Monohybrid Punnett Square Maker

A Punnett Square is a visual representation of Mendelian inheritance. It is a table consisting of possible combinations of the parent alleles, which can be used to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype for a given trait.

A monohybrid cross involves crossing of the parent alleles for a single trait and the resulting Punnett square lists the possible genotypes of the offspring for the given single trait.

This utility creates a monohybrid Punnett square based on the allele symbols entered by you for each parent.

Effect of drag coefficient on objects falling in air - 1

Terminal Velocity - An object falling through atmosphere (air) is subjected to two external forces. One is the weight of the object (gravitational force). The other force is air resistance, also known as drag. For a falling object, its weight acts in the direction of the fall, whereas drag acts in the opposite direction. Hence, drag is a type of frictional force where air offers resistance to the motion of the object.

Drag increases with the square of velocity. If velocity keeps increasing, drag keeps increasing too, until it becomes equal to the weight of the object. When drag is equal to weight, there is no net external force on the object and the vertical acceleration reduces to zero. With no acceleration, the object falls with a constant vertical velocity, called as the terminal velocity.

This activity investigates effect of drag coefficient of an object falling through air. The drag coefficient is largely determined by the shape of the object.

The activity consists of two trials, featuring four geometric solids made up of aluminum and having the same mass and frontal area. The first trial involves dropping an aluminum sphere and cuboid from a hot air balloon at a specific height above ground.

DIY - Ideal gas law - Effect of moles of gas on exerted pressure

This DIY interactive investigates the effect of change in the amount (moles) of gas on the pressure it exerts in an enclosed container, with temperature and volume remaining constant.

In this case, it is assumed that the relationship between volume, pressure, moles and temperature of the gas is governed by the Ideal Gas Law, PV = nRT.

The activity consists of two trials, each involving a gas in an enclosed cylinder whose moles change over time to observe the corresponding change in pressure. For each trial, you can specify the values of constant temperature, constant volume and the starting number of moles.

Note: The interactive includes a simplified model of motion of gas molecules, where pressure can be thought of as the aggregation of collisions of the molecules on the walls of the cylinder and the piston, such that more the collisions, higher the pressure exerted by gas, and vice versa. The speed of molecules is governed by temperature, such that higher the temperature, greater the speed of the gas molecules.

DIY - What is a Normal Force?

The normal force is a force exerted by a surface on an object, which is resting against the surface. For example, it is the force exerted by the table on a book kept on it, which prevents the book from falling down due to gravity.

Some characteristics of a normal force are:

• The normal force exerted on an object is always at a right angle (perpendicular) to the surface, which the object is resting on.
  Typically, the normal force is denoted as FN or Fn.
• On a flat horizontal surface, the normal force on an object is the equal to the weight of the object (FN = m.g)
• On an inclined plane, FN = m.g.cosT and is always less than the weight of the object. Likewise, on a horizontal surface, T=0 and cosT=1, hence the normal force is equal to the weight of the object.

This interactive lets you explore the concept of a normal force acting on an object when resting on a horizontal or on an inclined surface.  

DIY - Frictional Force on Inclined Surface

Friction (a.k.a frictional force) is a force, which resists the relative motion between two surfaces that are in contact with each other. Typically, the frictional force acts in the direction opposite to the direction of motion.

Dry friction resists the relative motion between two solid surfaces in contact. Dry friction is of two types: static friction between non-moving surfaces, and kinetic (or dynamic) friction between moving surfaces.

An object placed on an inclined plane has a natural tendency to slide down due to gravity, such that steeper the incline, greater the acceleration with which it will slide down. However, the friction between the object surface in contact with the resting surface will resist downward sliding motion. If the static frictional force between the two is greater than the sliding force due to gravity, the object will remain stationary. The frictional force between the two surfaces depends upon their individual roughness and the angle of inclination.

This interactive lets you explore the effect of mass and the angle of inclination on the static friction between different surfaces. It also features a free body diagram (FBD) of the different forces involved. You can investigate the critical angle of inclination for different materials, at which an object overcomes the static frictional force and begins to slide down due to its own weight.

DIY - Effect of Mass on Frictional Force on an Inclined Plane with an FBD

Friction (a.k.a frictional force) is a force, which resists the relative motion between two surfaces that are in contact with each other. Typically, the frictional force acts in the direction opposite to the direction of motion.

Dry friction resists the relative motion between two solid surfaces in contact. Dry friction is of two types: static friction between non-moving surfaces, and kinetic (or dynamic) friction between moving surfaces.

An object placed on an inclined plane has a natural tendency to slide down due to gravity, such that steeper the incline, greater the acceleration with which it will slide down. However, the friction between the object surface in contact with the resting surface will resist downward sliding motion. If the static frictional force between the two is greater than the sliding force due to gravity, the object will remain stationary. The frictional force between the two surfaces depends upon their individual roughness and the angle of inclination.

This interactive lets you explore the effect of mass and the angle of inclination on the static friction between different surfaces. It also features a free body diagram (FBD) of the different forces involved. You can investigate the critical angle of inclination for different materials, at which an object overcomes the static frictional force and begins to slide down due to its own weight.

DIY Simple Electric Circuit Builder 1 - Light Bulbs in Series

An electric circuit is a closed path along which the electrons flow and usually do some useful work such as causing a light bulb to glow or a fan to rotate.

A simple electric circuit consists of a power source (battery), wires, and one or more load devices (resistors) such as light bulbs, buzzers, fans, etc.

When the circuit is closed, electrons flow from the battery, through the wires, into the light bulb and return back to the battery.

Two arrangements of connecting devices in an electric circuit are series and parallel. In a series circuit, devices such as bulbs are connected one after the other, along a single path. In a parallel circuit, two or more bulbs are connected between the same connection points in the circuit, forming parallel branches.

This interactive consists of a simple electric circuit builder, which allows you to build a circuit using a battery, wires and light bulbs, which can be connected in two parallel branches.

DIY Simple Electric Circuit Builder 2 - Light Bulbs in Parallel

An electric circuit is a closed path along which the electrons flow and usually do some useful work such as causing a light bulb to glow or a fan to rotate.

A simple electric circuit consists of a power source (battery), wires, and one or more load devices (resistors) such as light bulbs, buzzers, fans, etc.

When the circuit is closed, electrons flow from the battery, through the wires, into the light bulb and return back to the battery.

Two arrangements of connecting devices in an electric circuit are series and parallel. In a series circuit, devices such as bulbs are connected one after the other, along a single path. In a parallel circuit, two or more bulbs are connected between the same connection points in the circuit, forming parallel branches.

This interactive consists of a simple electric circuit builder, which allows you to build a circuit using a battery, wires and light bulbs, which can be connected in two parallel branches.

DIY Conservation of Momentum - Recoil 1

• This interactive explores recoil (backward movement) arising due to conservation of momentum in a system. The activity involves an astronaut in deep space carrying a small portable cannon, designed to fire a cannonball at a specified velocity.

HS-PS2-2: Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

DIY Heat Conduction 1

• This interactive investigates heat flow by simple conduction in a metal rod, which is heated at one end. Thermometers along the length of the rod indicate the temperature rise over time along the length of the rod.

MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

DIY Heat Conduction 2 - Heat conductivity in metals

• Heat conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct heat. This interactive lets you compare heat conductivity in different metals, by monitoring the heat flow through metal rods heated at one end.

MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Bohr-Rutherford Diagram - Interactive Exerciser

• The Bohr's model of atomic structure is used as a basis for drawing a simplified representation of the atomic structure of different elements (usually up to Z=20) known as the Bohr-Rutherford diagram. This interactive exerciser features five randomly selected elements (up to calcium) for which the user has to create the Bohr-Rutherford diagrams.

MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms

Electron Configuration using Periodic Table - Interactive Exerciser

• This interactive exerciser lets you practice writing electron configurations of atoms by referring to the periodic table. The exercise consists of 5 questions. Each question presents a randomly selected element for which you have to write the electron configuration.

HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms

Electron Configuration using Energy Levels Hierarchy Diagram

• This interactive exerciser lets you practice writing electron configurations of atoms by referring to a diagram denoting the hierarchy of energy levels and sub-levels. The exercise consists of 5 questions. Each question presents a randomly selected element for which you have to write the electron configuration. Using the energy levels hierarchy diagram to determine the sequence of filling the orbitals.

HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms

Orbital Diagram - Interactive Exerciser

• This interactive exerciser lets you practice constructing orbital diagrams for the selected element. The exercise consists of 5 questions. Each question presents a randomly selected element for which you have to construct the orbital diagram indicating the state of electrons in each orbital. Follow Hund's rule and construct the orbital diagram by clicking on the orbitals. Each click on the same orbital box progressively adds and removes the electrons in a sequence.

HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms

DIY Inelastic Collision 1

• This interactive involves a perfectly inelastic collision between two toy trains of specified masses, traveling with specified constant velocities in opposite directions. The activity consists of two trials enabling you to compare the inelastic collisions between the two toy trains, for different combinations of mass and velocity.

MS-PS2-1: Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
HS-PS2-2: Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
4-PS3-3: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

DIY PE Diagram 1 - Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions - Interactive graph

• This interactive PE graph explores how the potential energy of the reactants and the products determine whether the reaction will be endothermic or exothermic.

HS-PS1-4: Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

DIY PE Diagram 2 - Activation energy and Catalyst action

• This interactive PE graph explores the heat change and the activation energy for a chemical reaction. It also explore the effect of catalyst on the activation energy.

HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

DIY Seismic Waves - Refraction of a seismic ray

• This interactive lets you observe the extent of refraction of a seismic ray (how much it curves) as it travels through the Earth interior, based on the initial incident angle specified by you.

HS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.
MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

DIY Volumetric Thermal Expansion 1

• This interactive, consisting of two trials, lets you compare volumetric expansion undergone by two metal cubes of selected size and material.

HS-PS3-1: Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
MS-PS3-4: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

DIY Linear Thermal Expansion 1

• This interactive lets you compare the linear expansion undergone by two metal rods of selected size and material.

HS-PS3-1: Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
MS-PS3-4: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Osmosis - Effect of concentration difference

• The interactive compares osmosis between different concentrations of solution A and B, across three trials. To observe the movement of water from left to right, a small amount of pink colored dye is injected into the solution A, on the left side.

MS-LS1-2: Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
HS-LS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

DIY Capacitance 2 - Charging a capacitor in an RC circuit

• This interactive investigates the effect of supply voltage and capacitance on the charging of a capacitor in a RC (resistor-capacitor) circuit. The activity allows you to compare the charging of a capacitor for different set of input values, namely - battery supply voltage, resistance and capacitance.

HS-PS3-2: Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
HS-PS3-5: Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Capacitance - Electrical Potential Energy - 1

• This interactive compares the effect of supply voltage and capacitance on the charging and discharging of a capacitor.

HS-PS3-2: Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
HS-PS3-5: Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Series and Parallel Circuits - 20 Interactive Puzzles

The latest addition to our bank of electricity interactives is a set of 20 highly engaging puzzles featuring configurable electrical circuits.

The interactive puzzles, progressing systematically from easy to difficult, are carefully crafted to help students gain a thorough understanding of series and parallel circuits through analytical thinking and problem-solving. Each puzzle features a specific electrical circuit comprising a battery, one or more resistors in series or parallel, with ammeters and voltmeters connected appropriately. For each question, some input and output (target) values are generated randomly, while the remaining values are intentionally undisclosed.

Using Ohm's law, the equations and attributes of series and parallel circuits, and simple algebra, users have to analyze the given circuit and determine the resistors to be connected in the circuit in order to solve the given problem correctly.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
HS-PS2-5: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

Punnett Square - Dihybrid Cross - Exerciser 1

• This interactive exerciser lets you practice completing the Punnett square for a dihybrid cross between two parents. Based on the parent alleles, which randomly change for each question, determine the possible allele combinations of the offspring to complete a 4x4 Punnett square.

NGSS: Life Sciences MS-LS3-2. Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
HS-LS3-1: Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.

DIY Projectile Motion 3 - Monkey and the Hunter experiment

• Explore the popular monkey and the hunter (a.k.a shoot the monkey) physics thought experiment on projectile motion. Have fun with our modern version of this thought experiment, which is complete with retrofitted drones carrying laser cannons and targets triggered to fall automatically.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
MS-PS2-2: Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

DIY Gravitation - Geosynchronous & Geostationary Satellite Orbits

• This interactive explores launching of artificial satellites into different geosynchronous orbits, including the special case of a geostationary orbit.

NGSS: Earth Sciences MS-ESS1-2: Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-ESS1-4: Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.
MS-PS2-4: Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

DIY Wave characteristics - Interactive Graph

• This activity involves interactive graphs featuring displacement-time and displacement-distance representations of a sine wave, where the particle displacement is measured from the mean position. The waveforms change interactively as you change the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
HS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.

DIY Wave Properties - Interference 1 - Interactive Graph

• This interactive graph lets you explore the interference (superposition) between two sinusoidal waves. Change the values for frequency, amplitude, and phase offset for the two waves and observe the resultant wave.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
HS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.

DIY Boiling Point - Geographical elevation above MSL

• This interactive investigates how the boiling point of a liquid is affected by the ambient pressure, which in turn changes with the geographical elevation above mean sea level (MSL). Different places on Earth, for e.g. NY city, Denver, Mt Everest, etc. have different elevations above MSL.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

DIY Capacitance 1 - Electrical Potential Energy

• This interactive explores the process of storing electrical energy by charging a capacitor and using this energy on demand by discharging the capacitor.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS3-2: Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

DIY Electrical Circuits - Resistance in Series - Explorer 1

• This interactive explores the effect of resistors in series on the current flowing through the circuit and the voltage drop across each resistor in the given circuit. You can try out the circuit multiple times, with different values for battery voltage and resistors each time.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
HS-PS2-5: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

DIY Electrical Circuits - Resistance in Parallel - Explorer 1

• This interactive explores the effect of resistors in parallel on the current flowing through the main circuit branch and through each of the parallel branch. You can try out the circuit multiple times, with different values for battery voltage and resistors each time.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
HS-PS2-5: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

What goes on aboard the International Space Station (ISS)? This question has been asked in many science classrooms.

We all know that, launched in 1998, the ISS is an international partnership of countries and their space agencies which provides and operates the ISS. The principals partners are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. ISS is the largest space station ever constructed, and continues to be assembled in orbit and has been visited by astronauts from 18 countries.

Since the early 2000, thousands of experiments have been conducted aboard the ISS, including hundreds related to educational activities. From Story Time From Space to Gecko Gripper adhesives that use microscopic angled hairs to stick to surfaces using van der Waals forces. You can see the complete list here.

Prepmagic.com will be featuring some very interesting interactives. Our next update will introduce:

Thermal Conduction

• Explore the process of heat transfer through conduction and compare thermal conductivity of different materials.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Thermal Expansion

• Investigate the phenomenon of linear and volumetric thermal expansion in metals. Compare the extent of expansion across different materials.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Rocket Propulsion and Newton’s Laws of Motion 2 - Overcoming Planet Gravity

• Explore how the thrust generated by a rocket engine is used to overcome the gravitational pull exerted by the planet as the rocket lifts off from the surface. In case of rocket propulsion, Newton's third law explains the generation of thrust by a rocket engine, while Newton's second law describes the acceleration of the rocket due to the thrust generated.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Potential and Kinetic Energy Conversion

• Explore the conversion between kinetic and potential energy of an object thrown vertically upwards and falling back to ground.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS3-1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

Vector Addition

• Determine the resultant of two vectors using the triangle and parallelogram methods of vector addition.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Motion Vectors

• Explore how the specified velocity vector and the acceleration vector determine the resultant motion of an object.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Acid Base Titration

• A series of configurable DIY interactives to investigate the neutralization reaction between acid and base. Select the type, strength and volume of the analyze as well as the strength of the titrant and the indicator for the reaction.

NGSS: Physical Sciences MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Catalyst Action on Activation Energy - Interactive Graph

• Investigate how a catalyst changes the activation energy of a chemical reaction, altering the Potential Energy - Reaction Coordinate . difference in the potential energy of the reactants and the products determine whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic in nature.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Element Periodicity - Physical Property Trends

• Explore and compare the trends exhibited for different physical properties (atomic radius, density, melting point, boiling point, etc.) across selected elements in the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Punnett Square - Monohybrid Cross

• Interactive exercise on completing the punnett square for a randomly generated monohybrid cross.

NGSS: Life Sciences MS-LS3-2. Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

Homeostasis - Goldfish Heart Rate Lab

• Explore the effect of temperature on the heart rate of a goldfish. The heart rate is determined indirectly by measuring the respiration rate of the gold fish in terms of the opening and closing of its mouth. The interactive also compares the metabolism of the fish with the standard Q10 curve.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

The Nation’s Report Card on Science is out. The average NAEP science scores for the nation increased 4 points between 2009 and 2015 in both grades 4 and 8, but did not change significantly at grade 12. Scores for most student groups at grades 4 and 8 were higher in 2015 compared to 2009, but were not significantly different at grade 12. At grades 4 and 8, Black and Hispanic students made greater gains than White students, causing the achievement gap to narrow in comparison to 2009. 

Compared to 2009, scores were higher at grades 4 and 8 in all three science content areas (physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences) in 2015, while there were no significant changes in content area scores at grade 12. Read more.

This month on prepmagic.com we will see the following new interactives.

Rocket Propulsion and Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Explore how Newton's third law explains the generation of thrust by a rocket engine and how Newton's second law describes the acceleration of the rocket due to the thrust generated.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Effect of gravitational acceleration on projectile motion

• Explore the effect of gravitational acceleration (g) on the projectile trajectory including popular phenomena such as fired bullet versus falling bullet, shoot the monkey, etc.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Lift on an airplane - 2

• Compare the lift generated in different types of aircrafts, varying in terms of size, load and propulsion systems.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Potential Energy of a Chemical Reaction

• Investigate how the difference in the potential energy of the reactants and the products determine whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic in nature.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Enthalpy of neutralization reaction

• Investigate the enthalpy of neutralization, which is the change in heat content of the system that occurs when an acid and a base undergo a neutralization reaction to form water and a salt.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Half-life of a Radioactive Substance

• Understand the concept of half-life by comparing the decay process across a set of radioactive isotopes.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Radioactive Decay Series

• Explore the effects of emission of an alpha particle or a beta particle and the resulting decay chain for radioactive elements - thorium, neptunium and actinium.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Periods and Groups - Property Trends

• Explore and compare the trends exhibited for different physical and chemical properties across periods and groups in the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Homeostasis - Effect of Nicotine on Heart Rate

• Investigate the effect of nicotine on the heart rate of Daphnia magna.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Can we expect our students to work on inventions that have tangible and positive effects on the society, while providing empathetic and empowering learning experiences? Read how one school used purposeful design in PBL, to leverage their education and their classroom experiences to effect change.

As you might have noticed that all our August interactives are live on prepmagic.com. We are constantly listening to our rockstar teachers, and our September updates feature some of the requests that came in at the beginning of the school year. You can send in your requests by filling up this form.

Enzymes - Biological Catalysts

• Investigate how enzymes act as catalysts to control the rate of metabolic reactions.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multi-cellular organisms.

Active Transport

• Investigate transportation against the concentration gradient by expending energy.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-7. Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

Cell Surface Area to Volume Ratio

• Investigate how the surface-area to volume ratio affects the efficiency of a cell to transport material, mitigated by cell division or change in the shape to maintain the optimum area to volume ratio.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-4. Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.

Atomic Number

• Using a periodic table, determine the number of protons and electrons of an element based on its atomic number.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Isotopes & Mass Number

• Determine the number of neutrons in an isotope of an element, given its mass number.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Average Atomic Mass

• Determine the weighted average atomic mass of an element, based on its isotope abundance.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Electron Configuration

• Understand and construct the electron configuration of an element and relate to its position on the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Half-life of a Radioactive Substance

• Understand the concept of half-life in exponential decay.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Position

• Understand, define and compare the position of an object in Cartesian and polar coordinate systems.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Vector

• Explore definition of a vector and methods of vector addition.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Displacement

• Explore displacement of an object moving in 1-D and 2-D, including plotting of Distance-Time graph, resolution of the displacement vector into its perpendicular components and comparison with the distance traveled.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Velocity

• Explore velocity of an object moving in 1-D and 2-D, including plotting of Velocity-Time and Displacement-Time graphs, resolution of the velocity vector and comparison with the speed as a scalar quantity.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Acceleration

• Explore acceleration of a moving object and investigate its relationship with velocity and displacement through analyses of different motion graphs.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

With a few schools back in session and many others to follow these coming weeks, we know how exciting it is for teachers to return back to what they love the best; their kids and classrooms. More often than not, this beginning can be strenuous at times, hence this nice article on the National Education Association website, offers educator-tested tips, advice, and resources for a successful start to the school year.Over the summer we have been working relentlessly to get the best, that interactive and experiential science education has to offer.

This August we will be publishing the following interactives on prepmagic.com.

Seismic Waves and Epicenter Location

• Interactives exploring the different types of seismic waves, speed through different media and locating the epicenter by the triangulation method.

NGSS: Physical Sciences and Earth & Space Sciences HS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media. HS-ESS3-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

The Greenhouse Effect

• Interactive demonstrating the greenhouse effect using a simplified model based on thermal radiation and climate sensitivity. 

NGSS: Earth & Space Sciences and Physical Sciences HS-ESS2-2. Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems. HS-PS3-1. Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.

Satellite Launch and Orbit

• Interactives exploring Newton's law of gravitation by launching a satellite and configuring the resultant orbit, including conditions for a geostationary orbit. 

NGSS: Physical Sciences and Earth & Space Sciences HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects. HS-ESS1-4. Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

Food Energy Calorimetry

• Interactive investigating energy derived from different food types based on heat of oxidation measured using a bomb calorimeter.

NGSS: Physical Sciences and Life Sciences HS-PS3-4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics). HS-LS1-7. Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

Active Transport and Chemiosmosis

• Interactives exploring the mechanics of active transport and chemiosmosis during the process of cellular respiration.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-7. Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

Homeostasis - Effect of Chemical Agents on Heart Rate

• Interactives investigating the effect of chemical agents such as ethanol, nicotine and caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia magna.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Ionization Energy and Electronegativity Trends

• Interactives exploring and comparing the trends in ionization energy and electronegativity of elements based on their positions in the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Though the school year is coming to an end, exploration and learning will continue. We all know, that science learning playgrounds are everywhere around us, and hence we educators are constantly trying to figure out how to bring creativity to our classrooms and beyond. We particularly liked this article published in Wired, that talks about creativity in science classrooms.

At prepmagic.com we believe our deep contextualization engine which allows you to customize our interactives and control the narrative is a great catalyst to your creative endeavor.

Visit prepmagic.com to check out the May interactives. The new ones that are coming in June are listed below.

CHEMISTRY

Atomic Theory

• Gold Foil Experiment - Recreation of Rutherford's gold foil experiment that led to discovery of the nucleus and the formulation of the nuclear model.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Periodic Table

• Property Trends - Investigate the trends in properties such as atomic radius, electronegativity and ionization energy across elements in the periodic table

NGSS: SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, DCI - PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Stoichiometry

• Mole Concept - Explore the concept of mole and the relationship between molar mass and atomic mass.

NGSS: SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Cell Structure & Function

• Diffusion - Explore diffusion and facilitated diffusion as modes of passive transport.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and System Models, CCC - Structure and Function, DCI - LS1.A: Structure and Function.

• Active Transport - Investigate transportation against the concentration gradient by expending energy.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and System Models, CCC - Structure and Function, DCI - LS1.A: Structure and Function.

• Life Functions: Virus Replication - Explore how a virus infects and rapidly replicates inside a host cell.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Stability and Change, DCI - LS1.A: Structure and Function.

PHYSICS

Radioactivity

• Radioactive Decay - Investigate effects of emitting an alpha particle or a beta particle and the resulting decay chain.

NGSS: SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.C: Nuclear Processes.

Momentum

• Impulse Momentum - Explore thrust produced by a jet or a rocket engine resulting in its motion.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, DCI - PS2.A: Forces and Motion.

2-D Motion

• Projectile - Explore motion of a projectile in 2 dimensions.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, DCI - PS2.A: Forces and Motion

What happens when Katie, a 20-year-old junior with glasses, an aerospace engineering major, starts tutoring a roomful of students who are her own age or even a bit older? University of Colorado Boulder, has started a movement to improve the quality of science education around the country, not only on campuses but in K-12 classrooms, and the LAs, as they're called, are at the center of this work. Read more about "Making Science Teaching More Than 'A Backup Plan' here.

Visit prepmagic.com to check out the April interactives. The new ones that are coming in May are listed below.

CHEMISTRY

Kinetics Equilibrium

• Catalysts - Investigate how catalysts speed up a chemical reaction.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Disturbing Chemical Equilibrium - Investigate how equilibrium in a reversible reaction can be disturbed by changing concentration by adding reactants or removing products..

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Temperature and Reaction Rate - Investigate how change in temperature affects the rate of a chemical reaction.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Reaction Quotient - Explore the change in reaction quotient Q of a chemical reaction as it proceeds towards equilibrium.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Acids Bases

• Diprotic Acid Titration - Explore titration of a strong diprotic acid with a strong base.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Cell Structure Function

• Osmosis - Explore movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from area of lower solute concentration to area of higher solute concentration.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS1.A: Structure and Function.

Heredity Evolution

• Fitness - Explore how sexual selection and natural selection will cause favored alleles to become more common over time.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

• Mutation - Explore why some mutations survive and thrive, while others wither away.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

PHYSICS

Fluids

• Bernoulli's Principle - Investigate how Bernoulli's principle of fluids in motion and Newton's laws of motion determine the forces acting on an airplane that enable it to lift off the ground during take off.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, DCI - PS2.A: Forces and Motion

Hurrah! Spring is here. Spring is always an opportunity for a new beginning, for everything and everyone. "New research suggests that when students who are vulnerable to being stereotyped complete exercises that cause them to reflect on their own personal values, they perform better in class - and so do other students around them, even if those other students don’t complete the self-reflection tasks themselves". Read about this interesting research here.

If you think March interactives are awesome, check below the new ones that are coming in April.

CHEMISTRY

Acids Bases

• Indicators - Interactive demonstrating that different indicators show color change at different pH and therefore correct indicator has to be selected for titration of a given acid-base combination.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Kinetics Equilibrium

• Rate of Chemical Reactions  - Interactive investigating the factors affecting reaction rates.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Chemical Reaction Equilibrium - Interactive investigating the factors that shift the equilibrium of a reversible reaction as given by Le Chatelier’s Principle.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Heredity Evolution

• Genetic Drift Allele Fixation - Interactive exploring genetic drift phenomenon, which can eventually lead to allele fixation.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

• Speciation  - Interactive demonstrating how different types of isolation lead to selective breeding, which may eventually lead to emergence of new species.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

PHYSICS

Fluids

• Pressure Variation with Depth  - Interactive exploring static pressure exerted by a fluid at any point in space within that fluid.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Optics

• Curved Optics - Interactive ray diagrams illustrating characteristics of image formation based on focal length and position of the object.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

After 140 million miles and 340 days, let's welcome astronaut Scott Kelly back on earth. His year long mission on the International Space Station will help us better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration in space. These are monumental steps towards developing capabilities for manned missions to Mars. Read more about it here.

As promised, the February 2016 scheduled updates are now live on prepmagic.com. March 2016, will bring some very exciting interactives as listed below.

CHEMISTRY

Acids & Bases

• Strong-Weak Titration - Interactive demonstrating titration between weak acid and strong base. Compare and contrast with strong-strong titration curves.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Chemical Equations

• Balancing Chemical Equations - Interactive to practice balancing of chemical equations

NGSS: SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Heredity & Evolution

• Genetic Equilibrium - Interactive exploring genetic equilibrium condition proposed by the Hardy-Weinberg principle

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and system models, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

• Natural Selection - Case of peppered moths - Interactive investigating how natural selection affects population distribution

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.B: Natural Selection.

PHYSICS

Electricity

• Electrical Power - Interactive exploring the heating effect of electric current or Joule heating

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Sound & Waves

• Doppler Effect - Interactive illustrating Doppler effect, the shift in frequency when the source and observer are in relative motion.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

• Sub-sonic, Sonic & Super-sonic - Interactives exploring wave formations in case of objects moving slower or faster than speed of sound

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

Electromagnetic Waves

• Amplitude Modulation of Radio Waves - Interactive exploring application of electromagnetic waves in communication technology, involving amplitude modulation of a carrier wave based on the signal wave.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation

We are already a month into the new year, and it has been the most exciting times for us here at prepmagic.com. Though for many of us on the east coast, we did see some ugly effects of storm Jonas. Weather has always been a researchers enigma. More we think we know about it, more curve balls it throws at us. For the first time, University of Washington researchers, have convincingly connected the effect of Moon’s tidal forces on the amount of rainfall on Earth. Read more about it here.

So after the updates for January 2016 being live on prepmagic.com, this is what you should expect for the month of February 2016.

CHEMISTRY

Reactions

Types of Reactions - Interactives illustrating

• different types of chemical reactions - synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, neutralization, and combustion.
• endothermic and exothermic processes.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Solutions

Colligative Properties - Interactives demonstrating that

• a liquid’s boiling point and freezing point are affected by changes in atmospheric pressure.
• the presence of certain solutes and the number of solutes changes the freezing point and boiling point of a pure substance.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Gases

Partial Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that the sum of the partial pressures of all the components in a gas mixture is equal to the total pressure of a gas mixture.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Phase Changes

Vapor Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that a liquid boils when the vapor pressure equals the ambient pressure.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

BIOLOGY

Evolution

Fossil Dating - Interactives demonstrating 

• methods to determine the age of a fossil using radioactive decay.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity.

Reproductive Strategies & Survival Rates  - Interactives investigating

• the impact of reproductive strategies and rates on a population’s survival

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.C: Adaptation.

PHYSICS

Electric Circuits

Electrical Power - Interactives demonstrating that

• the dissipated power of a circuit element equals the product of the voltage across that element and the current through it.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Sound & Waves

Wave Characteristics - Interactives illustrating various aspects of a wave, including

• wavelength, period, frequency and amplitude
• simple harmonic motion
• velocity of sound waves versus medium of propagation

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

Wish you a very happy new year from the prepmagic.com team. The big news! The new year has been fantastic for the four who made it to the most elite club in the universe, 'the periodic table'. You can read more about it here.

Wanted to share our new year resolution with you. We will be sending you, at the beginning of the month, the list of what to expect in the month on prepmagic.com. This will be our commitment to you.In this month, we will be adding interactive simulations on acids and bases, solutions, gases, and energy in Chemistry. In Biology, we will have heredity, life functions, and ecosystems. Physics will see electrostatics and momentum. Check out our detailed list for January below.

CHEMISTRY

Solutions

Moles & Molarity - Series of interactives demonstrating:

• Concept of a mole and how it relates to atomic mass
• Molarity of a solution, based on moles of solute and volume of solvent
• Diluting a solution

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS1 - Matter and its interactions.

Acids & Bases

Acid-Base Titration - Series of interactives on

• Acid-base titration for exploring reaction between acids and bases, based on strength, molarity and pH value.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS1 - Matter and its interactions.

Gases

Gas Laws - Series of interactives demonstrating

• behavior of gases and the relationship between pressure, volume and temperature using Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law and the ideal gas equation.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1 - Matter and its interactions

Energy

Heating, Temperature & Phase Change - Interactives to

• investigate the process of heating and phase change using heating curves and to understand the concept of specific heat capacity and molar heat of fusion and vaporization.

Calorimetry - Series of interactives involving

• use of calorimeter to monitor energy changes due to specific heat, molar heat of fusion and vaporization, heat of solution and to measure energy content of common food items.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1 - Matter and its interactions, PS3 - Energy.

BIOLOGY

Life Functions

Homeostasis - Interactives investigating

• regulation of body temperature exhibited by endotherms, ectotherms and homeotherms.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Structure and function, CCC - Stability and change, LS1 - From molecules to organisms: Structures and processes

Heredity

Mendelian Inheritance - Interactives exploring

• inheritance patterns based on Mendel's laws of heredity.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3 - Heredity: Inheritance and variation of traits.

Ecosystem

Population Growth - Interactives to interpret

• a population growth curve and understand the carrying capacity of populations.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Stability and change, LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics.

PHYSICS

Electrostatics

Coulomb's Law - Series of interactives demonstrating that

• electrostatic force between two point charges is a function of their magnitudes and the distance separating the two, as given by Coulomb's Law.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS2 - Motion and stability: Forces and interactions.

Momentum

Elastic Collisions - Interactives showing that

• linear momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and is conserved during an elastic collision along with the conservation of kinetic energy.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Stability and change, PS2 - Motion and stability: Forces and interactions.