Electric Field and Potential Applet
In this beautiful high-resolution applet, the student selects from a wide variety of charge distributions, which then can be adjusted with the mouse and with various slider bars. The electric field and corresponding electric potential surfaces are clearly illustrated. This applet is most appropriate for more advanced physics students. The electric field produced by a fixed, or static, charge distribution is an abstract concept, and students have a hard time visualizing it. Equi- or isopotential surfaces and how they are linked to the electric field are also difficult to visualize. This simulation allows students to explore these concepts on a two dimensional surface.
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eduToolbox® is a resource-sharing portal developed by the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation with collaborative support and funding from the Tennessee Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education's Math & Science Partnership program.
