The Particle Box – Kinetic Molecular Theory Simulator

4 days ago

A 2D interactive simulator demonstrates kinetic molecular theory using particles that move, collide, and respond to user-controlled parameters.
Temperature is defined as the average kinetic energy per particle, directly controlled by a slider, with absolute zero corresponding to zero motion and pressure.
Pressure is measured from particle collisions with walls, and it increases with higher temperature or smaller volume, illustrating gas laws like Boyle's and Gay-Lussac's.
The Maxwell-Boltzmann speed distribution emerges from particle collisions, showing a range of speeds even at a fixed temperature, with a histogram displayed.
Cohesion (interparticle attraction) can be adjusted, allowing observation of phase transitions: gas condenses to liquid or solid when cooled, with pressure dropping near zero.
The simulation uses real physics, including velocity-Verlet integration and a Lennard-Jones-like potential, with emergent properties verified in the build.
The ideal gas law (PV = nRT) is visualized, where P, V, n, and T correspond to pressure, volume, particle count, and temperature in the model.
FAQ section covers key concepts: kinetic energy, gas laws, pressure-temperature relationship, speed distribution, and phase changes.
Units are relative (not SI), but relationships are proportional to real physics; the model is free to embed and includes educational tools like a molecule builder.

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