Relativity Lab for a playground swing
Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a playground swing live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Controls
Presets
Near the speed of light, space and time warp. The Lorentz factor γ = 1/√(1−v²/c²) governs it all: moving clocks run slow by γ (time dilation), moving objects shrink along their motion by 1/γ (length contraction), and energy grows without bound. At everyday speeds γ ≈ 1, so we never notice.
Data Inspector
Governing equation
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
Controls
A moving source squeezes its wavefronts ahead and stretches them behind — higher pitch approaching, lower pitch receding. Push past the wave speed for a sonic boom.
Presets
Data Inspector
Governing equation
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
More with Relativity Lab
Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for k-12 students?
- Yes — this version of "Relativity Lab for a playground swing" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.