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Created 3/29/16. Updates available online.

Charges and Fields

Charges and Fields Screenshot
  • Electric Field
  • Voltage
  • Equipotential

About

Topics

  • Electric Field
  • Voltage
  • Equipotential

Description

Move point charges around on the playing field and then view the electric field, voltages, equipotential lines, and more. It's colorful, it's dynamic, it's free.

Sample Learning Goals

  • Determine the variables that affect how charged bodies interact.
  • Predict how charged bodies will interact.
  • Describe the strength and direction of the electric field around a charged body.
  • Use free-body diagrams and vector addition to help explain the interactions.
Version 2.04

For Teachers

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Title Gold Star Contribution Contribution by PhET Authors Level Type
Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 CQs
Static Magnetic and Electric unit (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Lab
HW
CQs
Demo
Using PhET in Electricity Unit A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 CQs
Lab
Demo
Electric Energy and Capacitance demonstrations (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Demo
Introduction to Static Electricity using Electric Field Hockey and Charges and Fields (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Lab
CQs
Electric Field Lab A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Siros Amini UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Mapping Electric Fields A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Elyse Zimmer HS Lab
Exploring Electric Potential, Electric Field and Distance Relationships A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Bruce Palmquist HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain HS
UG-Intro		 Other
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Other
Charges Activity with Various Simulations This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro
HS		 CQs
Relationship between electricity and magnetism Ashlee Michael MS Lab
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer HS
MS		 Other
Charges and Fields Lab John Wrigtht HS Guided
Lab
Lab: Electric Field & Electric Potential Largo UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
PHET Charges and Fields Activity Part 1 Nikki Folkerts HS Guided
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other
Graphical Relationships in Electric Fields Mitzi Guhy HS Lab
Electric Field PhET Lab Amy Hayes HS Lab
Variación de la Intensidad del Campo Eléctrico en la Bisectriz de un dipolo Virginia M.D. UG-Adv Lab
Drawing Electric Field Lines and Electric Field Intensities Ben Gratton HS CQs
Electrostatics Plotting Patrick Foley HS Lab
Electric Fields duane hansen HS Lab
Electrical Potentials Lab Kevin Sandusky HS Lab
E-Fields Lab 2 Chris Bires HS Lab
Determinine Electric Field Relationships Bruce Palmquist UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
E-Fields PhET Minilab Chris Bires UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Electric Field Lab David McVicker HS Lab
Electrostatics Simulation lab Pauline Seales HS Lab
Electric field - patterns and strength Geoff Phillips HS Lab
Electric Fields & Point Charges Josie Herman HS Lab
Electric fields Michael F. Gallo UG-Intro Lab
Charges and Fields Exploration curt miller HS Lab
Equipotential Surfaces Lab Activity Jason Rott HS Lab
Introductie Lading, trui en ballon Jonas Voorzanger HS Demo

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Translations

Language Download or Run Tips
Arabic All العربية Run now الشحنات والمجالات
Arabic (Saudi Arabia) All العربية (السعودية) Run now الشحنات والمجالات
Basque All Basque Run now Kargak eta Eremuak
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Зарады і электрычныя палі
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now ELEKTRIČNA POLJA TAČKASTIH NAELEKTRISANJA
Bulgarian All български Run now Заряди и полета
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 电荷与电场
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now 電荷及電場
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Naboj i Električno polje
Czech All čeština Run now Náboj a pole
Danish All Dansk Run now Ladninger og felter
Dutch All Nederlands Run now charges-and-fields
Estonian All Eesti Run now Laengud ja väljad
Finnish All suomi Run now Varaukset ja kentät
French All français Run now Charges et champs
Galician All Gallegan Run now Cargas e Campos
Georgian All Georgian Run now მუხტები და ველები
German All Deutsch Run now Ladungen und Felder
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Φορτία και πεδία
Haitian All Haitian Run now Chaj ak chan
Hebrew All עברית Run now מטענים ושדות
Hungarian All magyar Run now Ponttöltések erőtere és potenciálja
Indonesian All Bahasa Indonesia Run now Muatan dan Medan Listrik
Italian All italiano Run now Cariche e campi elettrici
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 点電荷と電界(Charges and Fields)
Kannada All Kannada Run now ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಚಾರ್ಜ್
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Оқтайды және егістіктер
Khmer All Khmer Run now បន្ទុក និង​ដែន
Korean All 한국어 Run now 하전과 전기장
Kurdish (Turkey) All Kurdish (Turkey) Run now Barge û Navend
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Lādiņi un lauki
Macedonian All македонски Run now Електрични полиња на точкести електрицитети
Marathi All मराठी Run now प्रभार आणि क्षेत्र
Persian All فارسی Run now بارها و میدان ها
Polish All polski Run now Ładunki i pola elektryczne
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Cargas e Campos
Romanian All română Run now Sarcini si Campuri Electrice
Russian All русский Run now Заряды и поля
Serbian All Српски Run now Електрична поља тачкастих наелектрисања
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Elektrické pole nábojov
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Naboji in polje
Spanish All español Run now Cargas y Campos
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Cargas y Campos
Swedish All svenska Run now Laddningar och Fält
Tamil All Tamil Run now மின்மமும் புலங்களும்
Thai All ไทย Run now ประจุและสนามไฟฟ้า
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Yükler ve Alanlar
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Zarýadlar we meýdanlar
Ukrainian All українська Run now Заряди і поля
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Điện tích và điện trường

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Macromedia Flash 9 or later
OS 10.5 or later
Macromedia Flash 9 or later
Macromedia Flash 9 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Michael Dubson (developer/lead)
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