Interactive simulations close the gap between abstract equations and physical intuition. When a student can drag a slider and immediately see the double pendulum switch from periodic to chaotic motion, or watch a viral outbreak accelerate as the reproduction number crosses 1, the concept lands differently than when read from a textbook. Here are five practical ways to use mysimulator.uk in class, from a two-minute lesson hook to a multi-day inquiry project.
Use Case 1 — Physics
Pre-Lesson Hook: Create a Question Before You Answer It
Open the Double Pendulum simulation on the projector before students arrive. Run two pendulums from nearly identical starting angles. Within seconds they diverge completely. Ask: "Why do these two identical systems behave so differently?" Students will generate hypotheses — the spring, friction, initial conditions — before you have said a word about chaos theory or sensitive dependence. This creates a genuine knowledge gap that motivates the lesson. The same technique works with the Wave Interference simulation to open a lesson on superposition: project two waves meeting and ask students to predict the result before revealing it.
Use Case 2 — Biology
Guided Inquiry: Test a Hypothesis in Real Time
Give students the Epidemic Network simulation and a structured worksheet. Ask them to predict how doubling the contact rate affects total infections, then test their prediction by adjusting the R₀ slider. Ask them to find the minimum vaccination coverage needed to prevent an outbreak in networks of different topologies. This is genuine experimental reasoning — forming hypotheses, collecting data, revising models — without the week of preparation a physical experiment would require. The Lotka-Volterra simulation works equally well for guided inquiry into predator-prey population cycles in ecology lessons.
Use Case 3 — Mathematics
Formative Assessment: Predict, Observe, Explain
Before demonstrating the Fourier Series simulation, ask each student to sketch what they think a square wave's frequency spectrum looks like. Collect the sketches (or use mini-whiteboards), then reveal the simulation. The gap between prediction and observation is a diagnostic: students who predicted sinusoidal components have grasped the concept; those who drew the square wave itself need a different explanation path. The predict-observe-explain cycle works for any simulation — try it with Normal Distribution for statistics or 3D Curl Noise Flow Field for calculus lessons on curl and divergence.
Use Case 4 — Cross-Curricular
Homework Exploration: Student-Led Discovery
Assign the Carbon Cycle simulation as homework with three open-ended questions: How many years does it take atmospheric CO₂ to stabilise if emissions stop today? How does ocean absorption rate affect the answer? What happens if the biosphere carbon store is halved? Students explore at their own pace, screenshot their results, and bring their findings to class. This bridges physics, chemistry, and geography, and gives students genuine agency over the investigation. The Protein Folding simulation works well for A-level biology homework on tertiary structure and the role of hydrophobic interactions.
Use Case 5 — Physics / Computing
Cross-Subject Bridge: Connect Maths to Physical Intuition
The Quantum Harmonic Oscillator simulation lets students visualise the abstract wave functions they encounter in A-level and first-year university physics. Show the n = 0 ground state Gaussian, then step through n = 1, 2, 3 and ask students to count nodes, identify parity, and observe the wave function extending beyond the classical turning points. Connecting the visual to the formula Eₙ = ℏω(n + 1/2) makes the equal spacing tangible. For a computing cross-link, discuss how the simulation numerically integrates the Schrodinger equation — a direct application of differential equations from A-level maths.
Practical tip: All mysimulator.uk simulations work on mobile devices and Chromebooks with no installation. For class sets of devices, share the URL directly — there are no accounts, logins, or tracking. Students can bookmark any simulation and return to it independently.
The category index organises all simulations by subject, making it straightforward to find a simulation for any topic you are teaching. The Learning section provides accompanying deep-dive articles for most simulations, suitable for extension reading or as a basis for written assignments.