Dynamics game: Newton’s laws, friction and inclined planes
A physics game for applying Newton’s laws with the forces in view. A box appears with its forces drawn as arrows: the push, friction, weight and the normal force. You work out the acceleration, force or mass with F = m × a, the weight on Earth and on the Moon, the acceleration of a box pushed against friction (or discover it does not move), the acceleration and normal force on a slope and what a scale reads in an accelerating lift. There are also concept questions on inertia and action-reaction. When you answer, the result appears on the drawing and, on the slope, the weight splits into its two parts.
Physics · Upper secondary, Sixth form
Half of a dynamics problem is knowing which forces act and which way. Seeing the box with the push, friction, weight and normal force as arrows, and on a slope the components of the weight, is exactly the free-body diagram exams ask for.
Thinking mass changes on the Moon, forgetting friction, assuming the box moves even with a small push, saying the normal force equals the weight on a ramp, or getting the sign wrong in the lift. Those answers are among the options, each with its explanation.
Why you lurch forwards when the bus brakes, why the mosquito comes off worse if the force is the same, or why a spacecraft keeps going straight with its engines off. The concept questions link each law with something everyone has experienced.
"You push a 10 kg box with 30 N and the coefficient of friction is 0.2. Friction is μ × m × g = 0.2 × 10 × 10 = 20 N, opposing the push. The net force is 30 − 20 = 10 N and the acceleration 10 ÷ 10 = 1 m/s². Anyone who forgets friction answers 3 m/s². And if you pushed with only 15 N, the box would not move: friction matches your push."
Prefer to learn without screens? Try this analogue version:
Tie a rubber band to a pencil case and pull it across the table, gently, until it starts to move.
Measure how far the band stretches just before it moves: that is the maximum friction force.
Repeat on another surface (a towel, a sheet of paper) and with a book on top of the case.
Compare: which surface has more friction? What happens to friction as the weight increases?
If you like Newton in Action, these activities work similar skills:
Another physics game: add the forces on a body and decide which way it moves.
Position and velocity graphs: what happens to motion when there is acceleration.
Stand on bathroom scales in a lift and watch the reading as it starts going up and as it stops.
More practice on · Physics
Dynamics
This is Tuthor
Everything you need to study, from primary to sixth form
90 games and 226 explained quizzes across 14 subjects. Free, no sign-up.
Are you a teacher?
Share it with your class
🏆 New: play it live with your class, everyone on their phone →Tuthor uses essential cookies to work and, with your permission, analytics cookies to improve the experience.