DELTA's Virtual Physics Laboratory: a comprehensive learning platform on physics and astronomy

摘要

Perhaps the most effective instrument to simplify and to clarify the comprehension of any complex mathematical or scientific theory is through visualisation. Moreover using interactivity and 3D real time representations, one can easily explore and hence learn quickly in the virtual environments. The concept of virtual and safe laboratories has vast potentials in education. With the aid of computer simulations and 3D visualisations, many dangerous or cumbersome experiments may be implemented in the virtual environments, with rather small effort. Nonetheless visualisation alone is of little use if the respective simulation is not scientifically accurate. Hence a rigorous combination of precise computation as well as sophisticated visualisation, presented through some intuitive user interface is required to realise a virtual laboratory for education. We introduce Delta's Virtual Physics Laboratory, comprising a wide range of applications in the field of physics and astronomy, which can be implemented and used as an interactive learning tool on the World Wide Web.