MicroSims
Interactive simulations that let you explore computer science concepts by experimenting in real time. Click any card to launch the MicroSim.
Total MicroSims: 56 | Chapters covered: 9
Chapter 1: Intro to Computer Science
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Computational Thinking Pillars
Visualize the four pillars of computational thinking: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.
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Explore the internal components of a computer and how they work together.
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Convert between binary and decimal and see how computers represent numbers.
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Discover how characters are encoded as numbers using the ASCII standard.
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Test your knowledge of ASCII symbol characters by identifying them by name.
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Python vs Java Language Trends
Compare the popularity of Python and Java from 2010 to 2025 in an interactive line chart.
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Compiled vs. Interpreted Languages
Compare how compiled and interpreted languages turn source code into running programs.
Chapter 2: Python Fundamentals
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Compare interactive REPL mode with running saved Python scripts.
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Explore Python's built-in data types and how they behave.
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Try out Python's arithmetic operators and see results update live.
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Experiment with slicing, concatenation, and other string operations.
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Learn the difference between expressions that produce values and statements that perform actions.
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See how formatting and naming choices affect how easy code is to read.
Chapter 3: Boolean Logic
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Test comparison operators and see how Python evaluates them to True or False.
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Logical Operator Venn Diagrams
Visualize AND, OR, and NOT using interactive Venn diagrams.
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Interactive Truth Table Builder
Build truth tables for Boolean expressions and check your understanding.
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Find out which Python values are "truthy" and which are "falsy."
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Order of Operations Visualizer
See how Python evaluates Boolean expressions step by step.
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Explore how NOT distributes over AND and OR with De Morgan's Laws.
Chapter 4: Control Flow
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Explore the three fundamental control flow patterns: sequence, selection, and iteration.
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Visualize how Python evaluates chained if-elif-else conditions as a flowchart.
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Experiment with Python's range() function and see the sequence of numbers it generates.
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See how break and continue alter the flow of a loop with step-by-step animation.
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Watch nested loops fill a grid cell by cell to understand inner and outer loop behavior.
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Compare for loops, while loops, and other iteration patterns side by side.
Chapter 5: Working with Strings
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See how Python accesses individual characters in a string using positive and negative indices.
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Type slice expressions and see which characters are selected with visual highlighting.
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Watch how split() breaks strings into lists and join() reassembles them.
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Compare f-strings, format(), and % formatting approaches side by side.
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Type a word or phrase and see step-by-step how Python checks if it's a palindrome.
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Try out common string methods and see how they transform text in real time.
Chapter 6: Functions and Modular Design
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Explore the parts of a Python function: def keyword, name, parameters, body, and return value.
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Trace how Python executes function calls, passes arguments, and returns values.
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Understand the difference between parameters (in definitions) and arguments (in calls).
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See how local and global variable scopes work when functions are called.
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Build a program from small, reusable functions to see the power of modular design.
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Browse common function patterns: pure functions, predicates, accumulators, and more.
Chapter 7: Higher-Order Functions and Recursion
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Visualize how functions can accept other functions as arguments and return them.
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Watch data flow through map, filter, and reduce transformations step by step.
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See how recursive calls build a tree of factorial computations that unwind to produce the answer.
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Recursive Call Stack Visualizer
Watch stack frames push and pop as a recursive function executes.
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Explore the branching tree of recursive Fibonacci calls and see why it grows exponentially.
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Recursion vs Iteration Side-by-Side
Compare recursive and iterative solutions to the same problem running in parallel.
Chapter 8: Lists
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Type comma-separated values and see them stored as indexed boxes in a Python list.
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List Indexing & Slicing Explorer
Type index or slice expressions and see which list items are selected with visual highlighting.
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Experiment with append, insert, remove, pop, sort, and reverse on a visual list.
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Click cells in a grid to see double-index notation for accessing nested list elements.
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Step through a for loop and watch the pointer move through each list element.
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Watch zip() pair elements from multiple lists together with an animated zipper metaphor.
Chapter 9: Advanced List Operations
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See how variable names map to list objects in memory and discover the difference between aliases and copies.
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Shallow vs Deep Copy Visualizer
Compare shallow and deep copies side by side and see how changes to nested elements propagate differently.
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Enter or generate a list of numbers and see len, min, max, sum, and average update in real time with a bar chart.
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Push and pop items on an interactive stack to experience LIFO (Last In, First Out) behavior.
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Enqueue and dequeue items to experience FIFO (First In, First Out) behavior, with a compare mode against a stack.
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Interactive reference for all advanced list operations organized by category with a Quiz Me mode.
Other
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See the difference between a class blueprint and the objects created from it.