Forces and motion.
Change a variable. Observe the motion. Discover the physics.
Your experiment bench
Every motion leaves a trace.
Position
x (m)Velocity
v (m/s)Acceleration
a (m/s²)Press Start or step forward to record data. Move over the charts to inspect each instant.
One question. One experiment.
See the explanation
ΣF = ma The physics behind the laboratory+
A model you can test
The positive axis follows the ramp to the right. The applied force is parallel to the surface. We use g = 9.81 m/s², a 20 m track and an initial position x = 3 m.
N = mg cos θ
ΣF = F + mg sin θ + f
a = ΣF / m
At rest, friction balances the other forces up to |f| ≤ μsN. While sliding, its magnitude is μkN and it opposes velocity. When the cart stops, it may remain in equilibrium or move again depending on the forces.
What we simplify
The cart is a point mass with a friction pad. Its wheels are schematic: rotational inertia is not calculated. Surface values are educational examples, not measurements of real materials.
Air resistance is omitted. The trial ends at a track boundary or after 30 s; no collision is simulated. Force arrows share a scale within each frame; the cart is enlarged for visibility.
Changing parameters resets the trial. Playback speed changes the display of time, not the physics. Saved trials last only for this open page session.
Reference: OpenStax · Friction →