Tension Analysis
Explore cable tension forces in static structures like bridges or cranes. Adjust material, diameter, span, sag, and load to instantly calculate T1/T2 and check safety limits.
I build experiences meant to spark curiosity and invite wonder.
I teach Technology and Engineering at Wrightstown High School. I perform as Hanneman the Magician.
Instructional Tools
Free interactive tools for high school engineering and technology classrooms.
These were built for my students at Wrightstown High School and are free to use for labs, demonstrations, projects, homework, or professional development. They are a work in progress. Send feedback to tools@scotthanneman.com.
Engineering (ENG)
Compression Analysis
Test structural columns under compression loads. Choose material and cross-section, then input dimensions and load to calculate strength, buckling capacity, mass, and volume.
Truss Method of Joints
Learn the Method of Joints to solve 2D trusses. The tool checks determinacy, calculates reactions, and guides you through each joint with step-by-step visuals and equilibrium equations.
Beam Shear & Moment
Visualize shear forces and bending moments in cantilever beams. Apply point loads and instantly generate Shear Force Diagrams (SFD) and Bending Moment Diagrams (BMD).
Beam Analysis
Fully analyze simply supported or cantilever beams under point and distributed loads. Instantly calculate reactions, deflections, stresses, and view shear and moment diagrams.
Beam Superposition
Optimize support positions to minimize bending moments in beams. Test different loading scenarios using superposition and compare diagrams to find the best design.
Coming soon
SDoF Modeling
Experiment with single-degree-of-freedom (mass-spring-damper) vibration systems. Adjust parameters to explore natural frequency, damping ratio, and system response.
Coming soon
4-Bar Linkage
Interactive four-bar linkage simulator. Adjust link lengths and crank angle to visualize real-time motion, calculate rocker output angle, and classify Grashof condition.
Airfoil Data Digitizer
Extract precise X-Y coordinates from airfoil graphs or photos for aerodynamics projects. Upload images, calibrate edges, and export CSV for analysis or SVG for CAD.
Angle of Attack
Interactive airfoil simulator. Adjust angle of attack, flap deflection, and airspeed to visualize flow fields, lift/drag coefficients (Cl, Cd), L/D ratio, and stall behavior.
Center of Gravity and Pitch Stability
Adjust aircraft center of gravity (CG) position along the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC) to analyze pitch stability. Observe neutral point (NP), static margin, pitching moment coefficient (Cm), stability slope, and real-time pitch attitude visualizations for varying angles of attack.
Liaison Diagram
Build liaison diagrams to visualize how product parts connect. Analyze assembly relationships for better manufacturing and design decisions.
Power and Energy (PE)
Heat Conduction
Simulate heat transfer between two objects using Fourier's Law. Adjust materials, temperatures, volumes, and contact area to watch real-time temperature equalization and heat flow.
Refrigerant Behavior
Explore refrigeration cycles with an interactive R-134a Pressure-Enthalpy diagram. Drag temperature and pressure points to understand phase changes, enthalpy, and energy transfer.
Coming soon
Heat Pump
Simulate heating and cooling cycles with a heat pump system. Observe Coefficient of Performance (COP) and system efficiency.
Coming soon
Electricity, Electronics, and Controls (EEC)
Electrical Symbol & Unit Practice
Practice identifying electrical symbols, units, and verbal labels in both directions. Seventy questions cover Ω, kΩ, V, A, I, E, R, AC, DC, C, L, X, Z, Vpp, Vrms, and more.
Electrical Prefixes
Convert between kilo, milli, micro, nano, and pico prefixes for voltage, resistance, current, inductance, and capacitance. Type a value in one unit and instantly see equivalent values across the metric scale.
Using a Multimeter
Interactive digital multimeter simulator. Practice operating real meter controls, input jacks, and leads to measure voltage, current, and resistance in a virtual lab.
Multimeter Mode Quiz
Set a digital multimeter for a given measurement. Turn the dial, choose the mode, move the red lead to the correct jack, and check your answer.
Series Circuit Troubleshooting
Troubleshoot a virtual series circuit with a schematic, a board, and a digital multimeter. Identify parts, calculate values, diagnose faults, and repair the circuit.
AC, RMS & Reactance
Walk through DC, AC, RMS, and reactance on a virtual RC or RL board. Use the Field Meter and oscilloscope to measure voltage and current, then see how frequency changes XC, XL, and impedance.
PID Tuning
Tune a PID controller on a virtual line-following robot in real time. Adjust P, I, and D gains while watching error graphs, lap times, and performance.
DSP Filtering
Apply band-pass and notch filters to recover a corrupted voice signal while observing frequency spectrum and spectrogram visualizations.
Using an Oscilloscope
Interactive oscilloscope simulator. Practice operating real controls including V/DIV, TIME/DIV, triggering, coupling modes (AC/DC/GND), and measurement functions to analyze waveforms in a virtual lab environment.
Serial Data Decoding
Decode UART serial data as seen on an oscilloscope. Build and analyze 10-bit frames, step through bits, convert binary to ASCII, and practice decoding challenges that simulate real serial communication signals.
Robotics
How VEX GPS Works
See how a VEX GPS sensor reads the field wall barcode. Count pixels in the camera view to find distance and heading, then compute the robot's x and y location.
VEX V5 Code Guide
Ready-to-use programming templates and guide for VEX V5 robots. Includes motors, sensors, autonomous routines, driver controls, and competition-ready examples.
Manufacturing (MFG)
CNC Milling Offsets
Master CNC milling offsets with interactive guided lessons helping you visualize work offsets and tool length offsets. Adjust values and instantly see real-time effects on tool position and part zero.
CNC Milling G-code
Upload G-code to validate programs, visualize toolpaths, run safety checks, and generate operator job sheets.
Designing a CNC Cutting Board
Design a personalized cutting board for a Tormach 24R CNC router. Choose the profile and juice groove, add text or clipart, plan the CAM cuts, simulate the job, and export G-code plus a job sheet.
Easel to Glowforge
Convert Easel project exports into optimized SVG files for Glowforge laser cutters. Customize scale and placement for perfect results.