Wave interference, Doppler shifts, refraction, diffraction, lens systems, and polarization. Real-time ripple tanks and ray tracing with adjustable wavelength, amplitude, and medium properties.
Drop two pebbles in a ripple tank and watch interference patterns form in real-time. Adjust source frequency, amplitude, and separation to see constructive and destructive bands shift. Drag either source to change geometry and watch nodal lines redraw instantly.
Move a sound source toward and away from an observer to hear frequency shift in real-time. Adjust source speed, observer speed, and medium sound velocity. Watch Mach cone form when v_source exceeds v_sound, and calculate shifted f' = f(v±vo)/(v∓vs).
Fire laser rays through interfaces between media with different refractive indices. Adjust incident angle and n1, n2 values to see bending obey n1sinθ1 = n2sinθ2. Watch critical angle and total internal reflection as θ exceeds θc = arcsin(n2/n1).
Build optical systems with converging and diverging lenses and spherical mirrors. Drag object to see real-time image formation, track 1/f = 1/u + 1/v, and calculate magnification m = v/u. Ray tracing with principal, parallel, and focal rays updates instantly.
Pass light through single slit, double slit, and diffraction gratings to observe interference patterns. Adjust slit width, separation, and wavelength to shift maxima positions. Calculate angular positions with d·sinθ = mλ and watch spectral lines separate.
Excite strings and air columns at resonant frequencies to form standing wave patterns. Adjust length, tension, and boundary conditions to see nodes and antinodes shift. Calculate harmonics fn = nv/2L and visualize displacement envelope in real-time.
Pass unpolarized light through polarizers and analyzers to study Malus's law I = I₀cos²θ. Rotate transmission axes to see intensity change, add quarter-wave plates for circular polarization, and model Brewster's angle for reflected light polarization.
Recreate Young's iconic experiment with coherent light sources. Adjust slit separation and screen distance to change fringe spacing Δx = λD/d. Toggle between wave and particle modes to see interference pattern vs detection pattern build up photon by photon.
Model sound propagation in pipes and rooms with adjustable frequency and amplitude. Observe resonance in open and closed pipes, calculate beat frequency from two nearby tones, and visualize pressure nodes in standing acoustic waves with decibel readout.
Trace light rays through optical fiber cores with cladding layers. Adjust core and cladding refractive indices to control critical angle and numerical aperture. Model pulse dispersion and bandwidth limits, and calculate acceptance cone angle for signal injection.