Physics Notes

Electric Fields & Potential

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Concepts:

(A detailed list of terms and objectives for this unit is available.)

• Concept Summary (PowerPoint) (download the PowerPoint)
• The Electric Field
  • Historical development of the field concept
  • Lines of force
  • Drawing & Interpreting Electric Fields
  • Electric Shielding
  • Electric field calculations (E = F/q)
  • The Electric Field Game - an interactive applet to help you visualize the electric field produced by a group of charges
  • Practice quiz on electric fields
• Electric Potential Energy
• Electric Potential
  • Potential difference
  • Voltage
  • Compare/Contrast Electric Potential Energy & Electric Potential
  • Volt/meter as a measure of electric field strength
• Storing Electric Energy
  • The Capacitor
• The Van de Graaf Generator
• Practice quiz on electric potential & voltage

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Labs & Demos:

• Demo: Magnetic Field Box (Yes, I know it's not an electric field, but it is a field, and it turns out that there are amazing connections between electric and magnetic fields...)

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Supplements:

• The Best from Conceptual Physics Alive! - Side 4 - Chapter 1 - The Van de Graaf Generator (1:11 min) - laser disk

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Links:

• CPSurf - Electric Fields & Potential - an excellent set of annotated links keyed to your text.
• How Van de Graaff Generators Work - on the How Stuff Works web site
• Charges & Fields - an excellent Java applet to use to explore electric fields
• Charging & Discharging a Capacitor Applet - You can close the switch to charge the capacitor, then discharge it.
• Lightning: an Example of a Natural Capacitor - very interesting!
• Lightning Explorer Free Page - tracks lightning strikes in the continental U.S.
• The Condensor Microphone - a practical use of a capacitor

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last update April 3, 2008 by JL Stanbrough