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

A big ‘Thank You!’ to all of you who have already contributed to PhET during our crowdfunding campaigns so far!

If you have considered a donation, but haven’t gotten to it yet, there’s still time!

It takes a village – our village of PhET users and supporters – to bring high-quality science and math simulations to learners around the world. Won’t you join PhET and become a supporter today? Every donation – from $10 donations to larger gifts – helps to fund our efforts, and is much appreciated!

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Choose one or support both!

Build the “Teach with PhET” website:
Help us build the “Teach with PhET” website that will support teachers in your neighborhood and around the world…making it easier to use PhET sims.
Goal: $500,000 (or ~20,000 people giving ~$25 each)
Link: http://www.crowdrise.com/helpbuildteachwithphet

Bring Circuit Construction Kit to the iPad:
Help us publish the next-generation of one of our most popular simulations (used over 1 million times a year!), the Circuit Construction Kit DC. Your support will move this simulation to iPad and tablet compatibility using the latest HTML5 software technology.
Goal: $50,000 (or ~2,000 people giving ~$25 each).
Link: http://www.crowdrise.com/PhETHTML5CCKSimulation

It’s the holiday season and end of the year is approaching fast. As you’re going about your holiday shopping, you are probably also thinking about gift contributions before 2013 ends.

Please include PhET in your end-of-the-year gift contributions and give the gift of science and math to children around the world through one of our  crowdfunding campaigns. Any amount helps — minimum donation is $10. Choose one or support both!

Build the “Teach with PhET” website:
Help us build the “Teach with PhET” website that will support teachers in your neighborhood and around the world…making it easier to use PhET sims.
Goal: $500,000 (or ~20,000 people giving ~$25 each)
Link: http://www.crowdrise.com/helpbuildteachwithphet

Bring Circuit Construction Kit to the iPad:
Help us publish the next-generation of one of our most popular simulations (used over 1 million times a year!), the Circuit Construction Kit DC. Your support will move this simulation to iPad and tablet compatibility using the latest HTML5 software technology.
Goal: $50,000 (or ~2,000 people giving ~$25 each).
Link: http://www.crowdrise.com/PhETHTML5CCKSimulation

Have you received our December 2013 newsletter?

Learn more about the new “Teach with PhET” site, see our new logo and see more on our HTML5 simulations.

Don’t forget PhET this holiday season. Donate to PhET’s Crowdfunding Campaigns:

• Bringing Circuit Construction Kit to iPads
• Building the “Teach with PhET” website

Thank you PI, a manufacturer of precision motion systems, for becoming a corporate sponsor of Optical Tweezers and Applications.  Your support will help PhET upgrade our servers to the latest technology and keep the simulations free for students around the world.

If you’d like to join PI and become a sponsor, please consider supporting PhET in your annual year-end donations. Every donation helps! Together we can improve the way science and math are learned. Choose:

• Bringing Circuit Construction Kit to iPads
• Building the “Teach with PhET” website

Has PhET been slow or unresponsive?

We first want to apologize for the inconvenience, and let you know that we’re working hard to find a solution. But we need your help…

We need to upgrade to the latest technology, and as a non-profit, your donation to the “Teach with PhET” site will also help upgrade PhET’s software and hardware. Just giving $10 to the Building the “Teach with PhET” website crowdfunding campaign will make a difference–a little from our community will go a long way!

Please support PhET in your annual end-of-year donations and you’ll not only be helping you, and your students, but also students around the world. Together we can improve the way science and math are learned.

Do you remember dragging your feet across the carpet to make your hair stand up (or to shock your friends)? With it being so cold and dry here in Colorado and much of the US, have some fun with static electricity. Then show your students what is really happening with the HTML5 version of Balloons and Static Electricity.

Support PhET in your annual end-of-year donations. Every donation helps! Together we can improve the way science and math are learned. Choose:

• Bringing Circuit Construction Kit to iPads
• Building the “Teach with PhET” website