Online Stereo 3D Simulation in Studying the Spherical Pendulum in Conservative Force Field

Abstract

The current paper aims at presenting a modern e-learning method and tool that is utilized in teaching physics in the universities. An online stereo 3D simulation is used for e-learning mechanics and specifically the teaching of spherical pendulum as part of the General Physics course for students in the universities. This approach was realized on bases of interactive simulations on a personal computer, a part of the free online e-learning system at http://ialms.net/sim/. This system was practically applied with students at Sofia University, Bulgaria, among others. The shown simulation demonstrates the capabilities of the Web for online representations and visualizations of simulated physics processes that are hard to observe in laboratory conditions with all the accompanying parameters, vectors, quantities and trajectories. The discussed simulation allows the study of spherical pendulum both in conservative and non-conservative force fields. The conservative force field is created by the earth gravity force, whose magnitude may be varied in the
simulation from positive to negative values, while its direction is always vertical. The simulation also supports various non-conservative forces that may be applied to the pendulum. The current article concentrates on the case of conservative forces acting.