Throw a ball up – it rises and falls, along a parabolic arc. Throw a ball faster and it goes farther and higher. Why?

Hint: gravity (red node) pulls downward (minus sign on the arrow) at a constant rate, so vertical velocity (green node) decreases at a constant rate; horizontal velocity (not shown) is constant; and a ball's position changes moment-by-moment proportional to its velocity. Hmmmm, now you know Calculus!

Load the live LOOPY model and then click the "Play" button to run it yourself!

LOOPY, used to make the above cartoon, is an ultralight tool that allows fast sketch-up of mental models – simple simulations that help:

• Capture complexity – by eliciting mental models of complicated systems
• Catalyze insight – by enabling understanding of causal relationships, feedback loops, and time delays
• Convey results – by exposing and explaining leverage points for busy people who need to make better decisions

The original LOOPY is free software by Nicky Case; LOOPY is an enhanced version ©2021 MITRE Corporation. More to follow ...

(cf Fifth Disciplinarians (2000-09-10), Thinking in Systems (2017-11-03), Systems Thinking Icebergs (2019-06-27), LOOPY - Learn, Work, Save (2021-06-19), ...) - ^z - 2021-08-17