A review by Medical and Science Media On-Line

      (P.O. Box 3224, Mount Druitt Village, NSW 2770 Australia)

Forces

Forces is a versatile tutorial for anyone who wants to master the fundamentals of force or needs to brush up on basic concepts. The principles of force are covered in most introductory mechanics courses, and this package would be an excellent addition to a software library. The unique hyper-text-linked environment presents you with a variety of choices for working through the program. You can either move through the levels in a linear fashion, building upon newly acquired knowledge, or you can jump from one area to another, depending on your own interests and needs.

Forces covers five main sections: fundamental quantities, history and a tour of forces, and electromagnetic forces. Interactive contents let you jump to any of these parts immediately, tracking your path as you go. A concept map provides a more detailed overview of each section, and an index allows you to access particular phrases and concepts quickly. This feature makes the program suitable as a reference tool as well as a tutorial. Multiple-choice quizzes are available to reinforce learning, and a report can be accessed upon quitting the program. Finally, on-screen laboratories provide additional opportunities for investigation.