Uniformly accelerated motion

A green ball is thrown upward. We show its position vector, position vs time graph, velocity vector, velocity vs time graph, acceleration vector, acceleration vs time graph and energies (mechanical, potentiel and kinetic) vs time graph.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Electromagnetic induction

These animations show a magnet approaching a conducting coil, then getting farther. The magnetic field lines caused by the magnet change color when they get through the coil. The inducted current in the coil is represented by red spheres in motion (they move in the direction of conventional current).

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Electric Generator

This is an alternating current generator: a conducting coil (shown in yellow) rotates inside a magnetic field (the field lines are green here). The vector "A" is perpendicular to the area of the coil (its magnitude is the area of the coil). During rotation of the coil, the magnetic flux changes and an alternating current is induced in the coil. The first graph show the magnetic flux, the other graph shows current intensity.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Charge and discharge of a capacitor

A capacitor is charged by a battery: the charge Q increases, but the current I decreases (at first, the charges move fast; at the end, they move slowly).

When the capacitor is discharged through a resistor: the charge Q and the current I both decrease (at first, the charges move fast; at the end, they move slowly).

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Simple harmonic motion and uniform circular motion

Simple harmonic motion (at left) is a projection of the uniform circular motion (at right).

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Electric flux

The electric flux is proportional to the number of electric field lines going through a surface. This animation illustrates the 3 parameters influencing the electric flux: the area of the surface crossed by electric field lines, the magnitude of the electric field and the angle between the electric field and the surface. In the animation, the electric field lines are green when they cross the surface, and become yellow when they don't cross the surface.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Magnetic field around a straight wire

Circular magnetic field around a straight wire crossed by an electric current (the red spheres are not electrons: they move in the direction of conventional current).

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Block and spring system

Hooke's Law: force exerted by a spring

Hooke's law: the magnitude of the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to the distance the spring has moved from equilibrium.




Conservation of energy

The block slides on a horizontal frictionless surface. K is kinetic energy. U is elastic potential energy and E is total mechanical energy. While potential energy is converted to kinetic energy (and vice versa), total mechanical energy remains constant.



Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Doppler effect

Four short animations illustrating Doppler effect:

1) Listener in motion

First, the listener is at rest, then he moves toward the source; finally, he moves away from the source.



2) Source in motion

The source (in red) move away from green listener and toward cyan listener.



3) Source in motion at the speed of sound, formation of a shock wave (sound barrier)



4) Source in motion at twice the speed of sound (Mach cone)



Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Centrifugal or centripetal?

A passenger in a frictionless (!) turning cart slides outward. If an observer is looking from the moving cart, he thinks that a centrigual force pushes the passenger outward. But according to an observer at rest, the passenger moves in a straigth line at constant speed (while the cart is turning beneath him). An inward force of friction accelerates the cart toward center of the circle (centripetal acceleration); without this centripetal force, the passenger can't turn and continue in straight line because of its inertia.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Dynamics of the rotor

A rotor in action in some amusement park:



The forces acting on a passenger:



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Rolling motion

As the wheel rotates a complete revolution (without slipping), its center moves a linear distance equal to the circumference.

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Beats animation

2 waves (green and cyan) have slightly different frequency. The amplitude of the resultant wave (yellow) varies with time.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Electric field of a dipole

Electric field lines around a stationary dipole (a pair of electric charges of equal magnitude but opposite sign).

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Block on inclined plane

A block is held in place on a frictionless inclinend plane by a string. This video shows how the normal force and the tension in the string are affected by the angle of the incline.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Simple pendulum

Simple pendulum: velocity vector, acceleration vectors (radial acceleration in cyan and tangential acceleration in orange), forces (tension in orange and weight in cyan) and energies (kinetic energy in yellow, gravitational potential energy in green and total mechanical energy in orange).

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Rotating gears

The left gear has 16 teeth and makes 3 revolutions, the center gear has 24 teeth and makes 2 revolutions, the right gear has 12 teeth and makes 4 revolutions.

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Refraction and reflection of light

When a ray of light reach the boundary between two different substances, some light is reflected, and some light is refracted. The semi-cylindrical piece of glass has a higher index of refraction than air.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier

Charged particle in a magnetic field

Helicoidal motion of a charged particle in a uniform magnetic field.

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Simple harmonic motion

Acceleration vector, graphs of position, velocity and acceleration vs time for a body suspended to a spring.

Other animations by Yves Pelletier