How do I simulate a skydiver's free fall?

Open this page and use the live Laser Cavity Lab tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.

Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.

Can I use my own numbers?

Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a skydiver's free fall from your own measurements.

Use case · powered by Laser Cavity Lab

Laser Cavity Lab for a skydiver's free fall

Simulate a skydiver's free fall live in your browser. This runs the real Laser Cavity Lab solver — adjust the inputs, watch it respond instantly, and export the result. No install, no account.

For:Students Researchers Educators Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders

Laser Cavity

open full solver →

Laser CavityLive

gain, loss & threshold

Controls

Presets

Pump power

Cavity loss

A laser fires only when the optical gain from the pumped medium exceeds the losses of the mirror cavity. Below that threshold it merely glows like a lamp; above it, stimulated emission takes over and output rises steeply and linearly with pump power. This sharp threshold is the defining signature of laser action.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Threshold2.0

Output power1.60

Statelasing

Governing equation

P_{out} = 0.8 max (P_{pump} - P_{th}, 0) = 0.8 max (4 - 2.0, 0) = 1.60

Reading this result: Well above threshold, output climbs almost linearly with pump; the slope (~0.8 here) is the slope efficiency, and lowering cavity loss shifts the whole knee left.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Bragg Mirror

open full solver →

Bragg Mirror (DBR)Live

a mirror from interference

Controls

Presets

Layer pairs

High index n_H

Low index n_L

A distributed Bragg reflector stacks alternating quarter-wave layers of high and low index. Their reflections add up in phase over a band of wavelengths — the stopband — creating a mirror that can exceed 99.99% reflectivity, far better than metal. More layer pairs and higher index contrast deepen the reflectivity. Used in lasers, fiber gratings, and dielectric mirrors.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Peak reflectivity99.627%

Layer pairs8

Index contrast1.59

Stopband width160 nm

Governing equation

R = (\frac{n _{0} n _{H}^{2 N} - n _{s} n _{L}^{2 N}}{n _{0} n _{H}^{2 N} + n _{s} n _{L}^{2 N}})^{2} = (\frac{2. 3 ^{16} - 1.5 \cdot 1.4 5 ^{16}}{2. 3 ^{16} + 1.5 \cdot 1.4 5 ^{16}})^{2} = 99.627%

Reading this result: Each added pair multiplies the residual transmission, so reflectivity approaches 100% geometrically — a little more contrast buys many fewer layers.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Gaussian Beam

open full solver →

Gaussian BeamLive

how a laser beam spreads

Controls

Presets

Beam waist w₀ (µm)

Wavelength (nm)

A real laser beam is not a perfect ray — it narrows to a minimum waist then spreads. Within one Rayleigh range of the waist it stays roughly collimated; beyond, it diverges at an angle set by wavelength over waist size. Tighter focus means faster spreading — the fundamental diffraction trade-off behind every laser and telescope.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Rayleigh range0.012 m

Divergence4.03 mrad

Waist50 µm

Governing equation

w (z) = w_{0} 1 + (z / z_{R})^{2}, z_{R} = \frac{π w _{0}^{2}}{λ} = 12.4 mm

Reading this result: Divergence is set by λ/(π·w₀): shrinking the waist or lengthening the wavelength both make the beam spread faster — the core diffraction trade-off.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

or unlock everything with Pro →

About this simulation

The full Laser Cavity Lab tool models a skydiver's free fall with the same numerics engineers and scientists use — running entirely client-side. Change any parameter and the result updates in real time, so you can build intuition, check a design, or teach the concept without spreadsheets or installs.

More you can do with Laser Cavity Lab

Laser Cavity Lab for a projectile from a cannon Laser Cavity Lab for a bouncing ball Laser Cavity Lab for a pendulum clock Laser Cavity Lab for a car braking Laser Cavity Lab for a roller-coaster loop Laser Cavity Lab for a satellite orbit Laser Cavity Lab for a mass on a spring Laser Cavity Lab for a two-cart collision

Other ways to simulate a skydiver's free fall

Particle / N-Body for a skydiver's free fall Heat & Wave Fields for a skydiver's free fall GPU Compute (WebGPU) for a skydiver's free fall WebGPU Fluid for a skydiver's free fall GPU N-Body for a skydiver's free fall GPU PDE Solver for a skydiver's free fall

Frequently asked questions

How do I simulate a skydiver's free fall?: Open this page and use the live Laser Cavity Lab tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.
Is it free?: Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.
Can I use my own numbers?: Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a skydiver's free fall from your own measurements.