Algodoo and movie overlay

Been playing around with the simulation program Algodoo for a while. Looking into the pedagogical potential using it as one of multiple/multimodal representations of physical events. Here I overlay a VLC-semi transparent player showing me taking a little bike ride slamming on the brakes. I overlay this with Algodoo where I built a bike of the same weight as my bike and me together, tuning the speed more or less, and using an as close a choice of materials as I could. Rubber for the tires and stone as the ground. Trying to synch the point of slamming the brakes one sees that the breaking distance is quite similar to the actual breaking distance. The vector illustrates the net force on the virtual bike.

From July 20, 2011'

One could now ask the students what would happen to the breaking distance if the weight of the biker changes with say a factor of two? And what happens if the speed changes with say a factor of two. Will the distance change by a factor of two? Its just a matter of trying it out in Algodoo and compare it directly with the original situation.

PS. I needed quite a few hours to learn how to time everything. And a few mistakes are in the movie. It would be interesing if one could make an application that would facilitate this... I think I will have to develop one.