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Description
Tidal forces on a body are governed by various forces that act on it. The result of these net forces is the formation of tides. Tidal studies are an important part of the curriculum of high school students and beyond, according to the California State Department of Education (CSDE), which sets the standards for all schools in the State of California. Tidal forces are also an important branch of study in astrophysics and mathematics. Thus, it is very important that such important concepts are presented for students in a clear and concise manner for complete understanding of the topic conceptually. This thesis aims in helping high school students to understand the basic concepts of tidal forces in a visual manner in an interactive environment. XNA game programming framework was used to create the tidal simulation. This framework helps in the successful incorporation of 2D and 3D designs in a simple manner, and helps the game be more interactive and interesting. In this simulation, the user begins with a title screen with the title of the game and the options of Play Demo, Instructions and Exit. The Instruction screen gives precise control instructions to the user on how to operate the simulation. The Play Demo option leads to the actual simulation page, which has a planetary body in the center, with a mass revolving around it. As you move the mass around/closer/further from the planet, tidal forces, which lead to the deformation of the planet, are simulated accordingly. Thus, the user is able to visualize the effect of tidal forces effectively. Overall, this project aims to provide a visual, interactive and game-based approach that can be successfully incorporated into an academic setting.
