Curve Fitting
About
Topics
- Polynomials
- Error Analysis
Description
With your mouse, drag data points and their error bars, and watch the best-fit polynomial curve update instantly. You choose the type of fit: linear, quadratic, cubic, or quartic. The reduced chi-square statistic shows you when the fit is good. Or you can try to find the best fit by manually adjusting fit parameters.
Sample Learning Goals
- Explain how the range and uncertainty and number of data points affect correlation coefficient and chi squared
- Describe how correlation coefficient and chi squared can be used to indicate how well a curve describes the data relationship
- Apply understanding of Curve Fitting to designing experiments
Keywords
For Teachers
Teacher Tips
| Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ). |
Teacher-Submitted Activities
| Title |
|
|
Authors | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) |
|
|
Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
Lab Demo HW |
| Curve Fitting: How well does the curve describe the data? (Inquiry Based) |
|
|
Trish Loeblein, Mike Dubson | HS UG-Intro |
Lab |
| Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS |
|
Trish Loeblein | HS | Other | |
| How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? |
|
Sarah Borenstein | MS | Other | |
| PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum |
|
Julia Chamberlain | HS UG-Intro |
Other | |
| PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C | Roberta Tanner | HS | Other | ||
| MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment | Elyse Zimmer | MS HS |
Other | ||
| Moteur en PhET | Bernard Lacour | Other | Lab | ||
| Line of best fit activity | Dave Dalton | HS | HW Lab |
||
| 커브 핏팅 SIM 사용 설명서 | Wha Kuk Lee | UG-Adv HS UG-Intro |
Lab Demo HW |
||
| Simulações no Ensino de Fisica | Carla Tavares | HS | Guided MC Other HW Lab Discuss Demo |
Translations
Related Simulations
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
|---|---|---|
|
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10 Macromedia Flash 9 or later
|
OS X 10.9.5 or later Macromedia Flash 9 or later
|
Macromedia Flash 9 or later
|
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
|---|---|---|
|


