Earth and Space virtual labs

Simulated experiments, instruments and processes built on real scientific rules. Each lab has an aim, steps, tasks and exam questions, and links to the topics it supports.

Show labs for

Type of lab

ModelCompass around the EarthDrag a compass anywhere around the Earth and watch its needle follow the magnetic field lines. Switch on the solar wind to see how the field protects us and makes auroras.Open →ModelEarthquake Waves and the Shadow ZoneStart an earthquake and watch P and S waves travel along curved paths through the Earth. See which seismometers receive them and find the shadow zone that proves the outer core is liquid.Open →ExperimentMeasure the Earth like Al-BiruniStand on a hill, measure how far the horizon dips below the level line, and work out the radius of the Earth the way Al-Biruni did near Nandana Fort.Extension: Class 10 / O LevelOpen →ExperimentMohs Scratch Test for MineralsTest the hardness of 11 minerals, from talc to diamond, with a fingernail, copper wire, steel nail, glass plate and steel file, and place each one on the Mohs scale.Open →ModelRadioactive Decay and DatingWatch 400 radioactive atoms decay at random, see that about half are left after each half-life, and work out the age of a sample with carbon-14, potassium-40 or uranium-238.Extension: Class 10 / O LevelOpen →ProcessTake a Rock around the Rock CycleStart with magma, cool it fast or slowly to make granite or basalt, then use weathering, compaction, heat and pressure and melting to turn your rock into sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.Open →

How the labs work

Each lab copies a real experiment, measuring instrument or natural process. The numbers come from the real scientific rules, and any simplification is stated under the lab.