Orbiter Space Flight Simulator - free for Windows computers

Orbiter is a free Space Flight Simulator for Windows. It is not a web app, but must be downloaded and installed on your computer.

With Orbiter, you can launch and fly the space shuttle. It launches from Kennedy Space Center and then you fly it to rendezvous with the International Space Stations. You can also fly Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Vostok and other spacecraft, including your own design or designs others have made.

The simulator is very realistic and allows you to fly spacecraft, design your own craft, plan interplanetary missions, and learn about space flight and orbital mechanics in a fun way.

This is a great resource for science classes, especially Physical Science, Astronomy, and Physics.

Here are some screen shots from Orbiter:


     

I plan on using this with my Physics classes as part of their end-of-the year rockets project.

Molecular Workbench - free visual, interactive science experiments and lessons

Molecular Workbench is a free and open source system that provides visual, interactive simulations for science. The simulations are in lesson format, with embedded assessments and the ability to change variables and see what happens. There are hundreds of free simulations in physics, chemistry, biology, biotech and nanotech.

Some are similar to the simulations in PhET, but these are more lesson based vs. just a simulation. They are well written and designed and the interactive simulations really explain concepts well and let students explore them in more depth.

The other very cool feature is that educators can customize any of these simulations to better fit their lessons and you can use the software (free) to create your own from scratch using their modeling tools.

Here is a screen shot from the Heat and Temperature module. The introduction page has a simulation that shows molecular movement based on temperature.

Molecular Workbench is one of those resources that has a lot of potential. Teachers can use them as part of class, as extra help, or as an online course. Students could even use the software to create their own simulations and lessons as an assignment.




Related:

PhET - free online science and math simulations - very cool!

Exploriments - interactive animations for science and math

Exploriments is a site that has interactive simulations that help students learn and understand math and science. Students are active and engaged, rather than passive. They get to explore different topics and ask, and answer, questions like "what-if" and find the cause and effect of things. There are learning objectives for each Exploriment and everything works together and builds on previous knowledge.

The Exploriments are organized by Physics, Chemistry and Math and then further organized by topic. The physics ones are well done and I've used a few with my students already.

The free access does not give you full access or function, but there are some great things to use. You can upgrade to the premium access if you want to.

PhET - free online science and math simulations

PhET is an awesome resource from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The site has interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math that teachers and students can use.

The simulations can be run on the site or downloaded. The simulations are accurate and real and can help students learn concepts in more depth. They are easy and fun to use, and really do demonstrate the concepts well. In the physics ones I use, a big benefit is that students can quickly and easily change variables and conditions and then see what happens. This is very hard and time consuming in many hands on labs.

The simulations are also a great alternative to live labs if you don't have the resources available. Some of the simulations are better than any hands on lab because the students can truly see and understand what is happening.

You can search by topic, grade level, or just see the newest ones added. There are teacher resources for many of the simulations. Teachers who use the simulations post lesson plans and resources to the site for others to use also.

I use the Physics simulations in my classroom and they work great. This is one of those sites that every science and math teacher needs to check out.

Here's a list of some of the new simulations they have: