What type of Physics software do you want?

[Matt Jacques]

Hi,

Please forgive me, I know not whether this is the appropiate forum to post to or whether I should ask, but...

I am inquiring what type of Physics software that is needed, I'm mostly interested in High School level. What would be benificial to the student? What could help the student learn?

I currently make Physics 101, ProjectileX, and Circuit Aid for the High School level. Since students, teachers, and scientists visit these boards, they are the best to know what is needed, any input or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt Jacques
http://www.praetersoftware.com

 

[rutwig]

Although this is far from the proposed question, I would really like to see an easy manipulable program to determine the algebra of Lie point symmetries of partial differential equations. Systems like Reduce or Macsyma are not bad, but it is quite difficult to find them.

 

[damgo]

A user-friendly graphical interface to GEANT. Not really high-school level, tho. :)

 

[Matt Jacques]

Hmm, not exactly what I was looking for.

Please just fill in the blank

When I was in High School, I wish I had a piece of software that ___________________________________________.

 

[Pauly Man]

I would have loved to have Maple when I was in my later years in high school. It would have come in really handy for checking my answers to problems involving differentiation and what not.

Probably a bit to expensive though.

I definitely think the most useful thing that could have been invented when I was in high school was physics forums, so count yourself lucky it is around now

 

[russ_watters]

... graphically demonstrated Newtonian physics. Ie, plug in the trajectory and watch the cannonball arc accoring to Newton's theory.

 

[damgo]

Something like that would demostrate and list out the steps used to solve a particular problem. eg, you set up using a GUI "50kg Tarzan is swinging on a rope to pick up Jane..." and it shows the relevant forces/potential fields, and lists the steps used to solve the problem.

Also, software that would give a good visualization of fields would be good: especially EM ones. Fancy CG has a great ability to intuitively portray dynamic vector fields that I think hasn't yet been exploited.

 

[enigma]

I would have wanted a graphic tool which showed how and why the trig identities worked.