Physics Explained Through a Video Game

This textbook explains algebra-based high school leveled mechanical physics through Bonk.io, a multiplayer physics browser game that runs on the Box2D physics engine. Materials from this video game are used to explain real-world physics concepts.

Table of Contents

Note that the Table of Contents is subject to change and may not reflect recent structural changes.

Unit 1: Kinematics

A monkey throwing bananas that fall towards the ground under projectile motion.

Topic 1.1 - Displacement¹

Topic 1.2 - Calculating Displacement¹

Topic 1.3 - Speed and Average Velocity¹

Topic 1.4 - 1-D Uniformly Accelerated Motion

Topic 1.5 - Motion in 2 Dimensions

Unit 2: Forces and Newton’s Laws

Because of a frictional force, the police car and the red car gradually come to a stop.

Topic 2.1 - Systems and Center of Mass

Topic 2.2 - Forces and Free Body Diagrams

Topic 2.3 - Newton's Second Law

Topic 2.4 - Newton's First and Third Laws²

Topic 2.5 - Resistive and Frictional Forces

Topic 2.6 - Spring Forces

Topic 2.7 - Tension and Circular Forces

Unit 3: Work and Energy

Topic 3.1 - Introduction to Work³

Topic 3.2 - Introduction to Kinetic and Potential Energy

Topic 3.3 - Conservation of Energy

Topic 3.4 - Conservative and Nonconservative Forces

Topic 3.5 - Power

Unit 4: Linear Momentum and Collisions

Topic 4.1 - Introduction to Linear Momentum

Topic 4.2 - Impulse (Change of Momentum)

Topic 4.3 - Inelastic Collisions

Topic 4.4 - Elastic Collisions

Unit 5: Statics and Rotation

Topic 5.1 - Rotational Kinematics

Topic 5.2 - Torque and Rotational Inertia

Topic 5.3 - Translational and Rotational Equilibrium

Topic 5.4 - Angular Momentum

Topic 5.5 - Rotational Kinetic Energy

Topic 5.6 - Rolling Objects

Unit 6: Springs and Oscillations

Topic 6.1 - Introduction to Simple Harmonic Motion

Topic 6.2 - Applying SHM

Topic 6.3 - Physical Pendulums

Unit 7: Gravitation

Topic 7.1 - Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

Topic 7.2 - Kepler's Laws

Known existing issues:

¹ These topics were created before adopting an improved article structure. As such, these topics have fewer resources, such as not having end-of-section practice problems.

² For this topic, the Example 4 contains a mistake with the FBD of the koi fish and lily pad after collision. They should be treated as a single system for the problem. Also, editing likely needs to be done for clarity and accuracy with the remainder of the example.

³ For this section, there are relatively few in-depth examples, especially given the large scope of the topic. Also, the discussion of work as a scalar value probably can be simplified.

Prior Knowledge

For this textbook, it is recommended that you have taken at least one year each of high-school leveled algebra and geometry.

Content Credits

1. This project partially contains text, images, and other media that was originally published on services owned by Fandom, Inc. under a CC-BY-SA license. Correspondingly, all content within this textbook will be credited to be taken from Fandom, Inc. when appropriate.
2. Some media for this project uses user-generated content created by other players on the Bonk.io website. For this content, in-text attribution is provided with the title of the user-generated content and the username of the player. Because of Wikimedia Commons' requirement for all uploaded files to be freely licensed, approval from each user is gained for their work to be dedicated under a CC0 - Public Domain license. To verify this for each user, please refer to https://discord.gg/QKrdE45y6h. On there, each user lists their account(s), provides a dedication for their media to be uploaded under the public domain, and video(s) showing ownership of each account are provided.
3. All of the uploaded media for the project has been under fair use. However, some media likely does not meet the stricter free licensing requirements provided by Wikimedia Commons. At this time, any materials that contain user-generated content to any extent (without the approval of the content owner to release their work under a free license) are in the process of being removed. All topics either will be replaced with only freely-licensed content or be temporarily missing some uploaded media.