Physics

Forces & Simple Machines Lab in Virtual Reality

Students build levers, pulleys and ramps, measure forces and distances, and discover the laws of equilibrium for themselves. Some experiments run at a scale no classroom can build: a seesaw with an elephant, a bridge with a truck and a building-site crane.

Request a demo All labs
24 experimentsAges 8–183 topics

This catalog presents labs available today alongside content in planning and development. Listing content here is not a commitment to develop it or to a release date.

How the lab works

Change one variable, measure, compare with the prediction

A VR headset can't make a load feel heavy, so every force in this lab is shown on a gauge attached to the setup. Students predict, change one variable, measure, log the result and compare it with their prediction, moving from a hunch to evidence.

Topic 1

Levers, torque and center of mass

Primary students discover that farther means stronger, middle schoolers measure the law of the lever, and high schoolers calculate torques, support forces and stability.

Primary school

Ages 8–12
Ages 8–10

The giant seesaw

Inquiry question
How can a light child balance a seesaw with an elephant on it?
What students do
Students place characters and crates on a life-size seesaw and move them until it balances.
Why VR
A scale no classroom can hold: students stand beside a giant seesaw and walk around it.
Ages 9–12

Lift a car with a bar

Inquiry question
Where should the pivot go to lift a car with the least force?
What students do
Students slide the pivot along a long bar, push the handle and read the force needed on a gauge.
Why VR
A load no class could lift, in complete safety.
Ages 9–12

The smart wheelbarrow

Inquiry question
Where should the load go so the wheelbarrow is easy to lift?
What students do
Students load crates at different spots, lift by the handles and compare the force on a gauge.
Why VR
A life-size tool, hands-on, with instant measurement.

Middle school

Ages 12–15
Ages 12–14

The law of the lever

Inquiry question
How do masses and their distances from the pivot relate when a lever balances?
What students do
Students hang weights on a numbered beam, balance it, log each case in a table and find the rule.
Why VR
Unlimited weights, a ruler that snaps to the beam and an instant reset to measure again.
Ages 13–15

Three classes of levers

Inquiry question
What do we gain and lose when we change the order of pivot, load and effort?
What students do
Students assemble three lever setups, lift with each and compare force and distance moved.
Why VR
Hands-on assembly and quick switching between setups, without three separate rigs.
Ages 13–15

The elbow as a lever

Inquiry question
Why does the muscle need far more force than the weight the hand holds?
What students do
Students place objects in the hand of a life-size arm model and read the muscle force on a gauge.
Why VR
The model can be viewed from every angle, right next to the student's own arm.

High school

Ages 15–18
Ages 15–17

A beam on two supports

Inquiry question
How is a truck's weight shared between two bridge piers as it drives across?
What students do
Students move a truck along a life-size bridge, read the support force at each pier, then predict it by calculation.
Why VR
Students stand under the bridge and see the force arrows in 3D.
Ages 15–18

Crane and counterweight

Inquiry question
How far out can a crane carry a load without tipping over?
What students do
Students move the load along the crane jib and adjust the counterweight while a stability gauge shows the net torque.
Why VR
The scale of a building site, with a long jib overhead.
Ages 15–17

Center of mass and stability

Inquiry question
At what angle does an object tip over, and how does that depend on its height and base?
What students do
Students build a tower of blocks, tilt the platform step by step and measure the tipping angle.
Why VR
Students see from every side the vertical line from the center of mass and the moment it leaves the base.
Topic 2

Friction, slopes and energy

Primary students compare surfaces, middle schoolers measure friction and energy and test what affects them, and high schoolers resolve forces into components and calculate the friction coefficient.

Primary school

Ages 8–11
Ages 8–11

Which surface stops fastest?

Inquiry question
On which surface does a crate pushed with the same force travel farthest?
What students do
Students launch a crate down lanes of ice, wood, carpet and sand and mark where it stops.
Why VR
Surfaces no classroom has, tens of meters long, with an identical launch every time.

Middle school

Ages 12–15
Ages 12–14

Pulling a brick: measuring friction

Inquiry question
What changes the friction force: the surface, the mass or the speed?
What students do
Students pull a brick with a spring scale, add weights on top and switch surfaces.
Why VR
A large, easy-to-read force gauge and many surfaces to compare.
Ages 13–15

Does contact area matter?

Inquiry question
Is a brick lying on its wide face harder to pull than one standing on its narrow face?
What students do
Students predict, turn the brick onto each face and pull it with the spring scale.
Why VR
A result that surprises many is tested at once, without confusing measurement noise.
Ages 13–15

Ramp: push or lift?

Inquiry question
Is it easier to get a crate onto a stage by ramp or by lifting it straight up, and what is the cost?
What students do
Students set the ramp angle, pull the crate up and compare with a vertical lift.
Why VR
A life-size ramp and stage, with instant angle changes.
Ages 14–15

From height to motion

Inquiry question
How does the release height of a ball affect how far the block it hits moves?
What students do
Students release a ball down a slope from five heights, measure how far the block moves and study a table and graph.
Why VR
Precise, repeatable measurement, with a table and graph built during the experiment.

High school

Ages 15–18
Ages 15–17

Resolving weight on a slope

Inquiry question
What part of the weight pulls an object down the slope, and how does it change with the angle?
What students do
Students rotate the slope, hold the object in place with a spring scale and display the force components.
Why VR
Vector arrows in space around the object, which students can walk around and inspect from every side.
Ages 16–18

Slip angle and the friction coefficient

Inquiry question
How can the coefficient of static friction be measured with only a protractor?
What students do
Students slowly raise a board with an object on it until it slips, measure the angle and calculate.
Why VR
Quick repeated measurements and a comparison with the spring-scale method.
Ages 16–18

Pulling a sled at an angle

Inquiry question
At what pulling angle is the force needed to drag a sled smallest?
What students do
Students drag a sled across snow, change the pulling angle and plot force against angle.
Why VR
The pulling angle comes from the student's hand, and the force components appear on the sled.
Topic 3

Pulleys and gears

Primary students explore direction and speed, middle schoolers measure mechanical advantage, and high schoolers calculate work, torque and gear ratios.

Primary school

Ages 9–12
Ages 9–12

Which way will the gear turn?

Inquiry question
If the first gear turns clockwise, which way and how fast will the last one turn?
What students do
Students fit gears of different sizes on a board, predict, then turn the crank.
Why VR
Free assembly at a large size, with no parts that fall or jam.
Ages 9–11

Raising a bucket from a well

Inquiry question
What does a pulley change when lifting a bucket: the force or the direction?
What students do
Students lift a bucket with and without a pulley and compare the pulling direction and the gauge reading.
Why VR
A life-size well and pulley, hands-on.

Middle school

Ages 12–15
Ages 13–15

Fixed and movable pulleys

Inquiry question
Does a movable pulley save force, and what is the trade-off?
What students do
Students attach a pulley to the ceiling or the load, pull, and measure force, pull distance and lift height.
Why VR
Quick assembly and precise measurement of pull distances.
Ages 14–15

Block and tackle

Inquiry question
How does the number of rope segments holding the load set the force needed?
What students do
Students add pulleys to the system, lift a piano and plot force against the number of segments.
Why VR
A real-scale load and rope segments counted in 3D.
Ages 12–14

Gears: the gear ratio

Inquiry question
How does the number of teeth relate to the number of turns of each gear?
What students do
Students swap gear pairs, turn the crank ten times and count the turns.
Why VR
Easy tooth counting at an enlarged size, and quick swapping.

High school

Ages 15–17
Ages 15–17

Work and mechanical advantage

Inquiry question
Does a simple machine save work, or only change the force?
What students do
Students raise the same load to the same height with a lever, a ramp and a pulley, and calculate work and efficiency.
Why VR
Three life-size workstations in one room, measured the same way.
Ages 15–17

Bicycle gears

Inquiry question
Why does a low gear help on a climb, and what is lost?
What students do
Students change sprockets on a bike stand, turn the pedal and calculate speed and torque.
Why VR
A life-size bicycle and a close look at the chain.
FAQ

Forces & Simple Machines Lab

How is force measured in a headset that can't simulate weight?

The headset doesn't convey weight or resistance, so every force is shown on a gauge (a spring scale) attached to the setup. Students read it, log it and compare it with their prediction.

Which ages is the lab for?

Ages 8 to 18. Primary students notice the direction of change, middle schoolers measure and find rules such as the law of the lever, and high schoolers calculate torques, resolve forces into components and estimate error.

Does the lab replace experiments in a physical lab?

No. It adds experiments that are hard to run in class: heavy loads, bridge- or crane-scale setups, and surfaces such as ice and sand.

The catalog is updated regularly, and content is added gradually. The labs support Hebrew, Arabic, English and more. To find out which labs are available for your school now: service@prolabsxr.com

More solutions

More ways to bring proLabsXR to your school

Labs catalog

Science experiments by lab, topic and age group.

Read more →

Light & Optics Lab

Shadows, mirrors, refraction and lenses, with light beams visible along their whole path.

Read more →

Electricity & Magnetism Lab

3D magnetic fields, electromagnets, motors and room-scale circuits.

Read more →

Virtual labs

Six science labs in VR headsets, for every grade level.

Read more →

Want experiments from this lab at your school?

Tell us which topics you teach, and we'll get back to you with a fit for your class

Book a live demo