Is embedding the Carnot cycle simulator free?

Yes. It is free to embed on any site, with no account, no API key and no usage limits. The whole simulation runs in your visitor’s own browser, so there is no server cost — we only ask that you keep the small "Carnot Cycle Simulator by LK Forge" credit line that comes with the embed code.

What can visitors do with the embedded simulator?

They can set the hot and cold reservoir temperatures and the expansion ratio, then watch a state point run around the four-step Carnot loop on a PV diagram while a piston inset shows the gas expanding and compressing against each reservoir. A live panel shows the efficiency, the net work per cycle, and the heat drawn in and dumped out.

Does the embed teach Carnot efficiency?

Yes. The efficiency is computed as one minus the ratio of the cold to the hot absolute temperature, so students can watch it climb as the temperature gap widens and see that it depends only on the two temperatures, never reaching 100 percent unless the cold side is at absolute zero. The shaded loop area shows the net work, equal to the heat in minus the heat out.

What iframe height should I use, especially on mobile?

The snippet ships with height="860", which is tall enough that the PV diagram, the piston, the sliders and the readouts all fit without clipping even on a narrow phone where everything stacks into a single column. On a wider page the widget simply centres within its max-width of 560px. If you want it shorter you can lower the height, but 860 is the safe default across screen sizes.

Where can I embed it — WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Notion?

Anywhere you can add HTML, because it is a standard iframe. In WordPress use a Custom HTML block; in Squarespace a Code/Embed block; in Wix an Embed HTML element; in Ghost an HTML card; in Notion paste the /embed/carnot-cycle/ URL as an embed. On a plain HTML page or an intranet, paste the snippet straight into the markup.

Does the embedded simulator track visitors or set cookies?

No. Everything runs locally in the visitor’s browser — nothing is uploaded. The embed sets no tracking cookies and sends no analytics, so it is safe to place on a privacy-sensitive site, an intranet, or a page for students.

Widgets

How to Add a Carnot Cycle Simulator to Your Website

LK Forge · 4 min read · Updated September 2026

You can add a full Carnot cycle simulator to any website, blog, or classroom page with a single line of code — free, with no sign-up, no plugin, and no script to install. Visitors run an ideal heat engine around its PV diagram and read the efficiency ceiling live. This guide covers the fastest way to embed the Carnot Cycle Simulator, what it teaches, and where it works.

The quickest way: paste one embed snippet

An embed is just an <iframe> that loads the simulator from lkforge.com, plus a small credit line. Copy this into your page’s HTML where you want the widget to appear:

<iframe src="https://lkforge.com/embed/carnot-cycle/"
        width="100%" height="860" loading="lazy"
        style="border:0;max-width:560px"
        title="Carnot Cycle Simulator by LK Forge"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://lkforge.com/tools/physics/carnot-cycle/">Carnot Cycle Simulator</a>
   by <a href="https://lkforge.com/">LK Forge</a></p>

The <iframe> is the live simulator; the <p> underneath is a plain credit link. Keep that line — the visible link is what keeps the widget free to embed. You can also copy this exact code straight from the LK Forge widget gallery.

What the widget shows

The simulator opens with the engine already cycling, so a visitor sees the loop being traced immediately and can then take control:

Hot and cold temperatures: widen or narrow the gap between the reservoirs and watch the efficiency respond.
Expansion ratio: stretch the loop to change the work per cycle.
The PV diagram: the coloured isotherms, the insulated adiabats, and the shaded area that is the net work.
Live readouts: the efficiency η = 1 − Tc/Th, the work, and the heat in and out.

Pick the right height

The snippet uses height="860", which fits the diagram, the piston, the sliders and the readouts without clipping even on a narrow phone, where they stack into one column. On a wider page the widget centres within its max-width:560px. That single height works across screen sizes, so there is nothing to tweak for mobile.

Where it works

Because it is a standard iframe, the embed works anywhere you can add HTML:

WordPress: add a Custom HTML block and paste the snippet.
Squarespace: use a Code / Embed block.
Wix: add an Embed HTML / iframe element.
Ghost: insert an HTML card.
Notion: paste the /embed/carnot-cycle/ URL and choose "Create embed".
Plain HTML, an intranet, or a lesson page: paste the snippet straight into the markup.

That’s the whole job. Copy the embed code from the widget gallery and paste it wherever a physics or engineering lesson on thermodynamics, heat engines or the second law needs a cycle students can actually run.

Grab the embed code from the LK Forge widget gallery — free, no sign-up.

Open the Carnot Cycle Simulator

Frequently asked questions

Is embedding the Carnot cycle simulator free?: Yes. It is free to embed on any site, with no account, no API key and no usage limits. The whole simulation runs in your visitor’s own browser, so there is no server cost — we only ask that you keep the small "Carnot Cycle Simulator by LK Forge" credit line that comes with the embed code.
What can visitors do with the embedded simulator?: They can set the hot and cold reservoir temperatures and the expansion ratio, then watch a state point run around the four-step Carnot loop on a PV diagram while a piston inset shows the gas expanding and compressing against each reservoir. A live panel shows the efficiency, the net work per cycle, and the heat drawn in and dumped out.
Does the embed teach Carnot efficiency?: Yes. The efficiency is computed as one minus the ratio of the cold to the hot absolute temperature, so students can watch it climb as the temperature gap widens and see that it depends only on the two temperatures, never reaching 100 percent unless the cold side is at absolute zero. The shaded loop area shows the net work, equal to the heat in minus the heat out.
What iframe height should I use, especially on mobile?: The snippet ships with height="860", which is tall enough that the PV diagram, the piston, the sliders and the readouts all fit without clipping even on a narrow phone where everything stacks into a single column. On a wider page the widget simply centres within its max-width of 560px. If you want it shorter you can lower the height, but 860 is the safe default across screen sizes.
Where can I embed it — WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Notion?: Anywhere you can add HTML, because it is a standard iframe. In WordPress use a Custom HTML block; in Squarespace a Code/Embed block; in Wix an Embed HTML element; in Ghost an HTML card; in Notion paste the /embed/carnot-cycle/ URL as an embed. On a plain HTML page or an intranet, paste the snippet straight into the markup.
Does the embedded simulator track visitors or set cookies?: No. Everything runs locally in the visitor’s browser — nothing is uploaded. The embed sets no tracking cookies and sends no analytics, so it is safe to place on a privacy-sensitive site, an intranet, or a page for students.