Energy Stores & Transfer — 3D Interactive Simulation
Three scenarios in one tool, all using the AQA energy stores framework:
- Pendulum — a bob swings from 60°, continuously converting GPE ↔ KE. With damping on, energy gradually transfers to the thermal store. The height arrow and energy bars update in real time.
- Bouncing Basketball — drops from 4.5 m, bouncing with a realistic coefficient of restitution. Each impact converts KE to thermal; fading markers show successive peak heights decreasing.
- Spring–Mass — a hanging mass oscillates, transferring EPE ↔ KE about the equilibrium position. The copper coil rebuilds every frame to match the live extension.
All three show live energy bars (KE / GPE / EPE / Thermal), a transfer label that updates direction each half-cycle, colour-coded energy particles, and AQA equations on demand. Damping can be toggled on/off mid-run to compare conservative vs dissipative systems. Fully SEND-accessible.
Suggested Class Activity — “Energy Detective” (20 min, Year 10/11)
Learning objective: Identify which energy stores are involved in a transfer and explain what happens to total energy with and without damping.
Setup: Display the simulation on the board. Students open it on their own devices or work in pairs.
Task sequence:
- (5 min) Predict first. Before pressing play, students write down: which stores are active, which direction the transfer goes at each stage, and what they think will happen to the bars over time.
- (8 min) Investigate. Students run all three scenarios with damping on, then off, and record:
- The transfer label at three points in the cycle (start, midpoint, end)
- Whether the total energy bar stays constant or falls
- The shape of the thermal bar over time
- (5 min) Explain the difference. Students write one sentence for each: “With damping off, … because … . With damping on, … because … .”
- (2 min) Exit ticket. “A pendulum clock runs down over time even though no energy is added. Which store does the energy end up in, and why can it not be transferred back?”
Extension: Ask students to predict which scenario dissipates energy fastest for the same starting conditions, then check against the thermal bar. Links to the AQA idea that thermal dissipation is the “graveyard” of useful energy stores.