PhET Blog

Test the pH of things like coffee, spit, and soap to determine whether each is acidic, basic, or neutral. Visualize the relative number of hydroxide ions and hydronium ions in solution. Switch between logarithmic and linear scales. Investigate whether changing the volume or diluting with water affects the pH. Or you can design your own liquid! See both micro and macro pictures.

Thank you Pearson for your continued  support of PhET—and for using PhET in Mastering Physics, Mastering Chemistry and a number of textbooks.

Pearson’s generous donation will go directly to bringing more HTML5 simulations to students around the world.

Our latest video highlights how to design student activity worksheets for in-class use of the PhET simulations. The simulations are created to guide students in inquiry-based exploration of scientific phenomena, and so are most effective when students use them in a hands-on setting. What questions can you ask students to help them achieve the learning goals that you have set for them, and to enable them to make their own discoveries? Watch this video for tips and recommendations from other teachers, and the PhET research team.

And, if you’d like to see more tips from PhET, help our “Teach with PhET” Campaign at: http://www.crowdrise.com/helpbuildteachwithphet

Have you tried PhET’s HTML5 version of Beer’s Law Lab?

“The thicker the glass, the darker the brew, the less the light that passes through.” Make colorful concentrated and dilute solutions and explore how much light they absorb and transmit using a virtual spectrophotometer!

And don’t forget our Teacher Activities, including a pre-lab warm up at: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/3661

Thank you Bilim Media Group and Effective Communication Strategies for your support of PhET. They are helping to put PhET simulations into the hands of Kazakhstan students. And with their generous donation to our HTML5 fund, they are helping to bring more tablet simulations to everyone!