Project development of the virtual laboratory work with 3D visualization of gyroscope motion

Abstract

In accordance with the concept of project-based learning, the project activities of computer modeling and simulation are organized in the physics course for the students of Novosibirsk State Technical University NETI. The students' teams develop interactive virtual labs with 3D dynamic visualization of physical systems and processes. The program developing of the interactive virtual lab work "Precession and nutation of a gyroscope" is demonstrated. A feature of the program development is the use of concepts of the object-oriented approach when creating the software product. The program's interactive abilities allow doing a large number of virtual experiments to study gyroscope behavior. You can observe and investigate various gyroscope motions as unidirectional precession, looping precession and cuspidal motion. Dynamic visualization of the gyroscope motion, supplemented by graphs, allows you to analyze the processes in detail. The students' software developments find their applications in the physical laboratory practicum and in the lecture course of the university physics as additional didactic tools.