Updated in February 2022
Below is a collection of some good physics apps for students and teachers. Using these apps, students will be able to engage in a wide variety of physics-based activities, puzzles, and challenges. Students get to explore key physics concepts, learn how physics principles apply in real life situations, and use virtual labs to design their own physics experiments.
Coaster Physics
Coaster Physics enables students to bring motion physics to life. Students create their own roller coaster and practice learning key physics topics related to speed, acceleration, g-force, and more. Coaster Physics, as its developers stated, “was developed with the help of educators to ensure its suitability for classroom use. It contains no user-generated content and does not require an Internet connection.”
Simple Physics
Students use Simple Physics editor to build complex structures such as houses and bridges and then use the app’s engine to create realistic physics simulations. Using the slow motion feature, students will get to learn about weaknesses in their designs and identify problem areas that need more work. Final designs can be saved and shared through emails with friends.
Blox 3D City Creator
Another good physics app for students. Like Simply Physics, Blox 3D allows students to engage in creative physics building activities that involve designing various types of cities and towns and populating them with things such as shops, trees, garages, bridges, people, cars, etc. Students can create their characters, add them to their city and experiment with different principles of physics.
Mechanisms
Mechanisms is an interactive learning app that enables students to learn and practice key concepts in organic chemistry. Students get to move and manipulate electrons, visualize mechanisms, and practice chemistry-based puzzles.
“The introductory set of Mechanisms puzzles include 40 challenges regarding chemical structure, acid-base reactions, addition reactions, and a survey of carbonyl reactions. All these puzzles include hints and videos to help [students] understand organic chemistry better.”
My Pocket Galaxy
While Blox 3D enables students to build cities and towns, Pocket Galaxy takes them a step further in their creative projects and helps them build their own universe using realistic physics rules.
This 3D sandbox game provides students with a gravity simulator to help them create different planets, stars, solar system, gas giants, and more. The app also provides step by step tutorials and several other useful features that makes learning physics a fun exploratory experience.
Crazy Machines
Crazy Machine is a puzzle game that takes students into a simulated physics lab and provides them with the tools to design physics-based puzzles and self-solving chain reactions. “Lasers, Nitros, Dynamite, and Explosives can be used to cause constructive damage. Tie objects with Balloons or Weights for a rise or fall. Activate the Mouse or Truck to push and pull your objects to their destination. The possibilities are endless!”
Rocket Crane
In Rocket crane, students use the laws of physics and their creative skills to create flying rocket cranes. As they engage in the construction process, they get to solve complex construction puzzles. The app offers 10 challenging levels (100 levels in premium version). Also, the premium version allows unlimited Sandbox objects and unlimited tallest challenge objects.
Physics Lab AR
As its name indicates, Physics Lab AR provides students with a virtual physics lab where they can build their own 3D electric circuits, play with different circuit components, and visualize chemical reactions in real time. “Anyone can enjoy the fun of scientific experiments. Perfect for teachers to demonstrate physics experiments in class and for students to explore inside and beyond classroom.”
Physics Sandbox
This is a 3D physics sandbox game that allow students to build and destroy various objects. The game includes 3 simple shapes (pillar, box, ball) and 2 complex shapes (tower and pyramid) with varying levels of difficulty. The app comes with two key modes: a no gravity mode (space) and a drag mode. Students experiment with each mode in their creation.
Brain It On
Brain It On enables students to practice important physical concepts through challenging puzzles. Students are required to draw shapes to solve specific puzzles. Each puzzle offers different ways of solving it. Students can also compete with each other, compare their solutions, and share solutions with each other.
