PhET Blog

Here’s an important update from our team regarding the ‘Offline Website Installer’:

Dear PhET Users,

If you have previously downloaded the PhET’s ‘Offline Website Installer’ from our web site and installed a full copy of the PhET website on your computer, we have some important information for you.  If you haven’t, please disregard this message.

Due to some recent changes to Oracle’s Java security model (update released January 14), you may encounter problems running our simulations from your local installation if and when you update your Java version.  If you run into such problems, or wish to avoid them, please download the latest update of PhET’s installer from our web site.  You can find the appropriate installer for your environment here: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/get-phet/full-install.  Please note that this affects only the full installation, and not individually downloaded simulations.

If you encounter any problems with this, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].  And, as always, thanks for being a PhET user.

Best Regards,
The PhET Team

We’ve added yet another HTML5 simulation: Friction.

Learn how friction causes a material to heat up and melt. Rub two objects together and they heat up. When one reaches the melting temperature, particles break free as the material melts away.

Want more HTML5 simulations? Help bring Circuit Construction Kit to iPad.

http://www.crowdrise.com/PhETHTML5CCKSimulation

Try the newest HTML5 simulation addition: ph Scale: Basic. Based on the JAVA pH Scale, the new HTML pH Scale: Basics  opens up the world of acids and bases to middle school students.

Test the pH of things like chicken soup, hand soap, blood, spit and soda. Investigate whether changing the volume or diluting with water affects the pH.

Want more HTML5 simulations? Help bring Circuit Construction Kit to iPad.

http://www.crowdrise.com/PhETHTML5CCKSimulation

Thank you Dean Baird for your comments regarding the behavior of John Travoltage. We have addressed the issues and the updated John Travoltage is now available at phet.colorado.edu.

Like our HTML5 simulations? Help bring Circuit Construction Kit to iPad.

http://www.crowdrise.com/PhETHTML5CCKSimulation