Virtual Activity: Electric Field Activity

     In this activity you will drag charges out of the charge bin and place them in virtual space.  You will then click the "Electric-field box" in the control panel to see the field associated with the charge configuration you created. You can use the yellow E-field sensor tabs to see both the magnitude and the direction of the E-field at any position in your configuration.  We will use this simulation again later in this unit when the concept of electric potential is discussed, so don't be concerned with the voltage box on the simulation at this point.
     Please follow the steps below, recording all your work in your lab notebook.
1. Place one positive charge (1 nC) in the virtual space. Click the "Electric-field box" to see the field. Use E-field sensors at three different locations in the field to see the direction of the E-field. If you click "Values" you will also see the E-field magnitude and angle. Calculate the distance of each tab from the charge that causes the field. Verify your calculation by using the measuring tape tool. Report on the accuracy of your measurements relative to the calculations.
2. Repeat part 1 using a negative charge (-1 nC). How is the field different? How is it the same?
3. Clear the virtual space and then place one negative charge and one positive charge in the simulation. Draw a sketch of the field in your lab notebook.
4. Repeat step 3, but this time use two negative charges. Prior to constructing the field using the simulation see if you can make a prediction of what the field will look like in your lab notebook.
5. Repeat step 4 with a more complex arrangement of particles of your choosing.