PhET is a library of free interactive science and math simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder. You choose a topic, such as circuits, waves, gravity or chemistry, and a simulation opens with sliders, buttons and draggable parts. You change something and see what happens.
That is the whole pedagogy: learning by fiddling. Build a circuit and watch the current, stretch a wave, change gravity and watch a mass fall. The simulations are used in classrooms but they are just as enjoyable as a curious adult.
PhET was founded in 2002 by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman. The simulations run in the browser and work on phones, though some are happier on a larger screen. There are many of them, so pick one topic and follow the sliders. Related: /site/ptable, plus everything in /category/oddly-educational.
Tips for getting the most out of it
- Pick one simulation and change every slider.
- Look for the guided or intro modes if a sim feels dense.
- Try the same sim on a bigger screen for more control.
Questions about PhET Interactive Simulations
What is PhET?
PhET is a collection of free interactive simulations for science and math from the University of Colorado Boulder. Each one lets you change variables and see the results in real time. Plan on plenty of time, since it is a genuine rabbit hole.
Who created PhET?
The project was founded in 2002 by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman at the University of Colorado Boulder, and it continues to be run from there. Plan on plenty of time, since it is a genuine rabbit hole. It works on phones. You can find it at phet.colorado.edu, and we check the link daily.
Sites like PhET Interactive Simulations
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What If?
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The Wisdom and/or Madness of Crowds
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Bartosz Ciechanowski's Interactive Explainers
Long, gorgeous interactive essays on how things work.
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