Charges and Fields

Charges and Fields Screenshot
  • Electric Field
  • Electrostatics
  • Equipotential
Flash Logo Original Sim and Translations

Topics

  • Electric Field
  • Electrostatics
  • Equipotential
  • Electrostatic Potential
  • Electric Charges
  • Voltage

Description

Arrange positive and negative charges in space and view the resulting electric field and electrostatic potential. Plot equipotential lines and discover their relationship to the electric field. Create models of dipoles, capacitors, and more!

Sample Learning Goals

  • Determine the variables that affect the strength and direction of the electric field for a static arrangement of charges.
  • Investigate the variables that affect the strength of the electrostatic potential (voltage).
  • Explain equipotential lines and compare them to the electric field lines.
  • For an arrangement of static charges, predict the electric field lines. Verify the prediction using vector addition.
Version 1.0.47

Teacher Tips

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

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Charges and Fields Remote Lab Introduction to Static Electricity 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		 Remote
Lab		 Physics
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 UG-Intro
HS		 MC Physics
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (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		 Lab
Demo
HW		 Physics
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 UG-Intro
HS		 Demo
Lab		 Physics
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 Physics
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 HS
UG-Intro		 Demo Physics
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
Demo		 Physics
Mapping Electric Fields A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Elyse Zimmer HS Lab Physics
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Earth Science
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López HS
MS		 Other Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Earth Science
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain UG-Intro
HS		 Other Chemistry
Electric Field Lab David Wirth UG-Intro
HS		 Remote
Guided
Lab
HW
Discuss		 Physics
Lab: Electric Field and Potential Inna Shpiro UG-Intro Lab Physics
Capacitor and Dielectric 2 Bassam Rashed UG-Adv
UG-Intro
Other
HS		 Lab
HW
Guided
Remote
Demo		 Physics
Capacitors - Introduction- Bassam Rashed UG-Intro
HS
UG-Adv		 HW
Demo
Lab
Guided
Remote		 Physics
Electric Field and Potential Lab David Waters HS
UG-Intro		 Lab
HW		 Physics
Charges and Fields John Bergmann HS Lab Physics
MYP Physics: Electric Force vs. Distance Mehmet Salih Gencer HS
MS		 Other
Lab		 Physics
Mapping of PhET and IBDP Physics Jaya Ramchandani HS Other Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS		 Other Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Investigating Electric Fields Chris Straughan HS Lab
HW
Guided		 Physics
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other Physics
Charges and Fields SK Gupta, Chaithra Navada HS Lab Physics
Introduction to Electric Fields Student Worksheet Rachel Kieft HS HW
Guided
Lab		 Physics
Investigating the relationship between field and potential around point charges Lori Fritz HS Guided Physics
Electric Field vs Electric Potential Aubry Farenholtz HS
UG-Intro		 Discuss
Guided
Demo		 Physics
Guided Inquiry - Electric Fields Ryan Thompson HS Lab
Guided		 Physics
Serie de actividades para Electrostática: de Electrización, Campos y Fuerzas A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein (traducción Diana López) HS
MS
UG-Intro		 Discuss
MC
HW
Lab
Remote
Guided		 Physics
Preguntas de razonamiento para todas las simulaciones HTML5 A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
Grad
UG-Adv
HS
UG-Intro
K-5		 HW
Discuss		 Chemistry
Mathematics
Astronomy
Physics
PREPARATORIA: Alineación de PhET con programas de la DGB México (2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS		 Other Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
Camp elèctric Jordi Plana MS Lab Physics
Charges and Fields SK Gupta, Chaithra Navada, Vaibhav Gupta HS Lab Physics
Simulação virtual para os tipos de eletrização e a relação entre as cargas. Denis Alves HS Demo
Lab		 Physics
Eletrodinâmica (Atividades) nos OA's do PhET Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales Other
MS
HS		 HW
Discuss
Other
Guided		 Other
Physics
Mathematics
Atividades sobre Eletricidade nos OA's do PhET Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
Other
UG-Intro
HS		 Discuss
Lab
Demo
HW
Guided		 Other
Earth Science
Physics
Potencial Elétrico no "Charges And Fields (HTML5)" Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
HS
Other		 HW
Guided
Other		 Mathematics
Physics
Earth Science
Other
Lei de Coulomb no "Charges And Fields (HTML5)" Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
Other
HS		 Guided
Other
HW		 Mathematics
Other
Earth Science
Physics
Vetor Campo Elétrico no "Charges and Fields (HTML5)" Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales Other
HS
MS		 Guided
HW
Other		 Earth Science
Other
Physics
CARGAS Y CAMPOS ELÉCTRICOS JORGE ENRIQUE CASALLAS LOPEZ HS
MS		 Demo
HW
Discuss
Lab		 Physics
Aprendizaje Activo + Simulación (laboratorio Virtual) Diego Fernando Becerra Rodríguez UG-Intro Lab Physics
Taller Virtual campo eléctrico para cargas puntuales Alexander Perez Garcia UG-Intro Discuss
Guided		 Physics
Laboratorio Virtual Potencial Eléctrico Diego Fernando Becerra Rodríguez UG-Intro Lab
Discuss
HW
Guided		 Physics

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HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
iPad compatible sims

Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Chromebook compatible sims

Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.

Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.9.5+, Safari 9+, latest version of Chrome.

Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with troubleshooting issues.

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Amy Rouinfar (lead designer - HTML5)
  • Michael Dubson (lead designer/developer - Flash)
  • Andrew Adare (developer)
  • Martin Veillette (developer)
  • Ariel Paul
  • Kathy Perkins
  • almond-0.2.9.js
  • easing-equations-r12
  • FileSaver-b8054a2.js
  • fontawesome-webfont-3.0.2.svg
  • game-up-camera-1.0.0.js
  • jama-1.0.2
  • jquery-2.1.0.js
  • lodash-2.4.1.js
  • pegjs-0.7.0.js
  • seedrandom-2.4.2.js
  • text-2.0.12.js
  • Tween-r12.js