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Course: AP®︎/College Computer Science Principles > Unit 6
Lesson 1: Exploring simulationsSimulations in physics
Physicists deal with the natural forces of the world. We experience most of those forces here on Earth and observe their effects, but the forces themselves are invisible.
Physicists can use simulations to visualize the natural forces and see how different combinations of forces act on objects to produce different results.
Educational simulations
Let's start with some simulations from the Khan Academy Physics content. Since the primary goal of these simulations is learning, they are simpler than ones used by actual physicists.
This simulation draws the magnetic fields around a magnet and is a great example of how computers let us visualize invisible forces. To see it from different angles, rotate around the magnet using your mouse.
This simulation shows what happens when a magnet is surrounded by iron filings. You can change the magnet angle with the left/right arrows and the magnet position with your mouse.
Entertainment simulations
Animation studios and video game developers rely on physics to create realistic digital worlds. They typically use software with a built-in physics engine (a library of code that can simulate physical systems).
Let's check out a few simulations from the Khan Academy Pixar content that are simplified versions of the tools available in physics engines.
The simulation below visualizes water filling a container, using a model of water as a system of particles. Try to make the simulation appear more realistic by changing the particle properties and gravitational force.
The next simulation also uses a particle system to simulate a real-world phenomenon: fireworks. You can play around with 16 different parameters controlling the physical forces, launch position, and particle properties.
Animators use tools like this to fine-tune their special effects. Pixar has their own in-house 3D animation software that they've custom built for their movies, but anyone can use free open-source software such as Blender to create simular effects.
Research simulations
Quantum mechanics is a field in physics that attempts to explain the natural forces at the atomic and subatomic level. Not only are those forces invisible; they're also too minuscule for us to observe. Quantum physicists can use simulations to test out theories about the interaction of subatomic particles, such as quarks and gluons.
This animation is from a simulation of a quark-antiquark pair inside a vacuum of empty space:
🙋🏽🙋🏻♀️🙋🏿♂️Do you have any questions about this topic? We'd love to answer—just ask in the questions area below!
Want to join the conversation?
- More simulations(17 votes)
- how was the content made?(8 votes)
- How does a quark - antiquark pair respond to collision? Is it an "explosive" affair, they just repel each other, or react otherwise? thanks(4 votes)
- Well, they will disappear in a great flash of energy.
P.S.If you got 2 marbles, one is made of matter, and the otheris made of antimatter, you send them crashing together, the energy they produce is=an atomic bomb!(6 votes)
- What's a quark-antiquark pair?(5 votes)
- Protons are made of quarks (u,u,d), and anti-quarks are like anti-matter. Search it up(2 votes)
- You said that video game developers use pre-made physics engines; where can I find those?(3 votes)
- Google :) I've tried
matter.js
(for 2d simulations), andcannon.js
(for 3d simulations).(2 votes)
- Is it possible to simulate the quantum theory of physics(2 votes)
- what the difference of quark and antiquark pair in the content(simulation)(2 votes)
- Wow. That's amazing. Is Unity an entertainment simulation?(2 votes)
- Simulations are great for learning and entertainment.(1 vote)
- Seems to me that there is a lot of research and development happening with particle colliders. What technologies have been developed around the advancement of understanding what happens at the subatomic scale? for example, the quantum computer is one, but what else has been developed?(1 vote)