Preview - Charge Interactions Chem/Phys

What are All the Arrows?

We just learned how to calculate the Electric Force, which is an interaction between any two charges. Now we are going to investigate what is known as the Electric Field, which is a representation of the effect charges have on the space surrounding them.

Uncheck the box labeled, “Electric Field.” Check the box that says “Grid.” Place a +1nC charge at an intersection of major gridlines in the middle of your screen.

Questions

Please answer the questions below.

Drag a yellow dot out of the box at the bottom labeled "Sensors" onto the grid. Drop the sensor on the page. Then click and hold the mouse button down to drag the sensor around the charge.

What do you notice about the direction of the arrow at all times?

As you click and hold with your mouse, the yellow sensor will move around the screen. What do you notice about the magnitude of the vector (the length of the arrow) as you move farther away from the charge?

What do you think the arrow on the yellow sensor represents?

Now release the mouse button to leave that sensor stationary on the screen. Place three more yellow sensors anywhere on the screen so that they create 3 more vectors of identical length.

What do the four points have in common?

Notes

These notes will appear on every page in this lesson so feel free to put anything here you'd like to keep track of.