About Forces and Free-Body Diagrams: May the forces be with you! Virtual Lab Simulation
Get ready to train before entering the engineering lab
You move as a result of forces acting upon you. In this simulation, you will learn the basics of common forces as you experience them in your everyday life. You will visualize the reaction of an object in a given condition using the free-body diagrams.
Deriving the net force in one direction
Dr. One, our AI lab assistant, changed a few parts in her engine. These changes affected how she moved and now she needs your help to optimize her flying! In the process, you will determine the center of mass and gravity and learn the basic steps of creating a free-body diagram in a one-dimensional problem.
Free-body diagrams for common forces
To identify the motion of an object, you first have to identify all the external forces that are exerted on it. In the forces and free-body diagrams simulation, you will create free body diagrams for a mass attached to a spring, a mass being underwater and a mass rolling down a hill. Change the magnitude of these forces – how will they affect the motion of the mass?
A free-body diagram with force components
By the end, you will understand how to resolve a force into components and evaluate the motion of an object when forces are applied to it in multiple directions. Will you be able to navigate a drone with two motors?
Get Started Now
Techniques In Lab
- Free body diagrams
Learning Objectives
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to…
- Draw and interpret free-body force diagrams to represent forces
- Understand the concept of center of gravity of an extended body
- Determine the net force exerted to a particle
Collaborators
How it works
A million dollar lab in your browser
Perform experiments in virtual lab simulations to achieve core science learning outcomes.
All our simulations run on laptop and desktop computers, and you can play our simulations without having to install any browser plugins.
Hundreds of hours of science learning content
Our virtual laboratory simulations are aimed at university, college and high school level, within fields such as biology, biochemistry, genetics, biotechnology, chemistry, physics and more.
With access to our simulations, you will have hundreds of hours of engaging, high-quality learning content available to you.