🔬 Simulations
★★☆ Moderate
New
Centrifuge
Sedimentation under centrifugal force: RCF=ω²r/g and Stokes velocity band particles by size and density. Separate blood into plasma, buffy coat and red cells or run a density gradient.
★★☆ Moderate
New
Differential Gear
An automotive differential lets driven wheels turn at different speeds (ω_L+ω_R=2·ω_carrier) while splitting torque. On ice an open diff spins one wheel — an LSD fixes it.
★★★ Advanced
New
Steam Engine
A reciprocating steam engine with slide valve, crank-slider and flywheel, plotting its PV indicator diagram. Set boiler pressure and cutoff; read indicated power, work per cycle and thermal efficiency.
★★★ Advanced
New
Heat Exchanger
Compare counter-flow and parallel-flow heat exchangers via the ε-NTU and LMTD methods. Watch hot and cold temperature profiles along the length and see why counter-flow wins.
★★★ Advanced
PID Controller — Tuning P, I, D
The workhorse of industrial control: u = Kp·e + Ki·∫e + Kd·ė. Drive a heater, cart-spring-damper or tank to setpoint; watch overshoot, oscillation and steady-state error change as you tune gains.
★★★ Advanced
Euler Buckling — Column Stability
Slender columns snap when P reaches P_cr = π²EI/(KL)². Pick material and end conditions, ramp the load, and watch the column buckle into its first eigenmode with a safety-factor readout.
★★★ Advanced
Gear Train — Ratio & Torque
Meshing gears trade speed for torque. Set tooth counts and input RPM, watch the gears stay perfectly meshed, and read the gear ratio, per-gear speed and torque — including idler and compound gears.
Gear Trains
Spur gears, gear chains and worm drives. Transmission ratios and
kinematics.
Beginner
Material Failure
Voronoi fracture and crack propagation. Brittle and ductile failure
under load.
Intermediate
Dominoes & Chain Reaction
Momentum transfer along a chain of dominoes. The physics of
collisions and energy in mechanical cascades.
Beginner
Cloth Simulation
A spring-mass system for fabric. Constraint solving, sagging and
tearing.
Advanced
Car Physics
Suspension, tyre friction and vehicle dynamics. Power and force
transmission.
Intermediate
Bridge Structural Analysis
FEA of trusses, deflection and a stress heat-map. Load distribution
across members.
Advanced
LEFM Fracture Mechanics
Linear elastic fracture mechanics, the stress intensity factor K
and crack growth.
Intermediate
Thermal Expansion
A bimetallic strip, thermal stresses during welding and residual
deformation.
Basic
Stress-Strain Curve
An interactive σ–ε diagram for steel, aluminium, rubber, bone and
polymer. Stretch a specimen to failure.
Intermediate
New
📐 Key Concepts
Finite Element Method (FEM)
A numerical method for solving boundary-value problems in mechanics.
The body is divided into finite elements with nodal degrees of
freedom and a stiffness matrix K·u = F.
Hooke's Law & the Stress Tensor
σ = E·ε — elastic deformation. The stress tensor describes six
components σx, σy, σz,
τxy, τxz, τyz. The von Mises
criterion for plasticity.
Fracture Mechanics (LEFM)
The stress intensity factor K = σ√(πa). A crack grows when K ≥
KIc. Three modes: opening (I), shear (II), tearing
(III).
Material Fatigue (S–N Curve)
Cyclic loading reduces strength below the static failure limit. The
Wöhler S–N curve relates stress amplitude to the number of cycles
to failure.
Euler–Bernoulli Beam Theory
EI·d⁴w/dx⁴ = q(x). The deflection of a beam under an external load.
The second moment of area I of the cross-section determines its
bending stiffness.
Crystal Structures
FCC (Al, Cu), BCC (Fe, W), HCP (Ti, Mg) — types of metallic
lattice. Dislocations and their motion determine the ductility and
strengthening of metals.
📖 Learning Resources
🔗 Related Categories
💡 Engineering simulations are one of the most
important applied areas of physics. The finite element method lets
engineers design structures before they are physically built,
preventing catastrophic failures and saving billions across industry.
Key Concepts
Topics and algorithms you'll explore in this category
Interactive ModelReal-time browser simulation with live parameter controls
WebGL / Canvas 2DHardware-accelerated rendering in the browser
Mathematical FoundationDifferential equations and numerical integration
Open SourceMIT-licensed code — inspect, fork, and learn
No Install RequiredRuns directly in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Educational FocusBuilt to explain the underlying science clearly
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this simulation category
- Do these simulations require installation?
- No. Every simulation runs entirely in your web browser using WebGL and Canvas 2D. Nothing to install or download — open the page and the simulation starts immediately.
- Can I use these simulations for teaching?
- Yes — all simulations are designed to be educational and run without an account or login. They are widely used in university lectures, high-school science classes, and self-directed learning. Embed them via iframe or link directly.
- What devices do the simulations support?
- All simulations work on desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari). Many work on mobile and tablets too, though some physics-heavy simulations benefit from the GPU performance of a desktop or laptop.