Visionlearning | Your insight into science

Our interactive animations help convey core scientific concepts. Each animation is associated with a learning module that provides detailed background on the subject in question.

Moho

This animation simulates what Andrija Mohorovičić observed in 1909 - that seismic waves travel faster in the mantle than they do in the crust because it is composed of denser material.

Reading: Earth Structure

Atomic and ionic structure of the first 12 elements

This animation provides the planetary and quantum view of the electron configuration for the first 12 elements on the periodic table. In addition, users can select a view of the nucleus of each atom and configuration of the major ion formed by the atom. Simply click on an element from the table above to proceed.

Reading: Atomic Theory I

Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote Cell Division

Overview of cell division in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, showing how similar processes of replication, segregation, and cytokinesis occur.

Reading: The Discovery and Structure of Cells

Acceleration during Free Fall

Demonstration of how the rate of acceleration of an object is independent of the object's mass, showing two objects with different masses falling at the same rate (if we ignore air resistance).

Reading: Gravity

Overview of Photosynthesis

Overview of Photosynthesis provides a short illustration of the light-dependent reactions that take place in a chloroplast during photosynthesis.

Reading: Photosynthesis I: Harnessing the Energy of the Sun

Energy Movement Through Photosynthesis

Overview of the Photosystem II reaction, which is the first step of photosynthesis. Shown is how a chlorophyll molecule (p680) uses light energy to take an electron from a water molecule, generating ATP and leading to Photosystem I.

Reading: Photosynthesis I: Harnessing the Energy of the Sun

Dalton's Playhouse

Dalton's Playhouse simulates the experiments conducted by Priestley and Lavosier that led to Dalton's theory of matter.

Reading: Early Ideas about Matter

Mid-Ocean Ridges

Mid-Ocean Ridges provides a detailed graphic depiction of the geological process that occur at spreading ridges and subduction zones.

Reading: The Origins of Plate Tectonic Theory

Darwin’s Finches

Darwin's Finches combines original artwork from Origin of Species with a conceptual representation of the Galapagos finches to explain Darwin's hypothesis of speciation.

Reading: Charles Darwin III

The Structure of Animal Cells

The Structure of Animal Cells presents the sub-cellular world of a typical animal cell with detailed descriptions of core organelles and their function.

Reading: Discovery and Structure of Cells

The Structure of Plant Cells

The Structure of Plant Cells presents the sub-cellular world of a typical plant cell with detailed descriptions of core organelles and their function.

Reading: Discovery and Structure of Cells

Fission of U235

Illustrates a nuclear fission reaction.

Reading: Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fusion illustrates the processes at work in a Tokamak reactor necessary to achieve fusion of hydrogen isotopes.

Reading: Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear Chain Reaction

Nuclear Chain Reaction demonstrates the process of nuclear fission and the differences in controlled versus uncontrolled fission reactions.

Reading: Nuclear Chemistry

Bohr's Atom

Neils Bohr proposed that electrons resided in specific orbitals within atoms in his groundbreaking work on atomic theory. This animation allows you to add different amounts of energy to see how the electron in a hydrogen atom responds, and then manually allow that electron to relax to specific orbitals within the atom.

Reading: Atomic Theory II