Electric Potential & Equipotential Lines
Visualizing the "electric landscape" created by point charges.
The Concepts
• Electric Potential (Voltage): A scalar quantity that describes the potential energy per unit charge at a point in space. Positive charges create "hills" of high potential, while negative charges create "valleys" of low potential.
• Equipotential Lines: Lines connecting points of equal electric potential. No work is done moving a charge along an equipotential line. They are always perpendicular to electric field lines.
How to Use the Lab
- Select "Add Positive" or "Add Negative" and click on the canvas to place charges.
- The background color shows the electric potential (red for positive, blue for negative).
- Toggle the "Show Equipotentials" and "Show E-Field Lines" buttons to visualize the fields.
- Drag the probe to see the exact potential and field vector at any point.