supported by
the National Science Foundation
educational validator:
John Belcher
technical implementer:
Andrew McKinney
published by
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This item is an interactive Java simulation that illustrates the structure of two-dimensional vector fields using the "grass seeds" (or "iron filings") representation. Users enter x and y components for a field, then choose from a variety of field examples: two-point charges, dipole in constant or no field, two-line currents, radiating dipole, and dipole in a field with gradient. The applet will display the chosen field in either a grass seeds electric field or as equipotential lines. For more advanced users, the applet provides functions for yielding polar coordinates.
This item is part of a collection of visualizations developed by the MIT TEAL project to supplement an introductory course in calculus-based electricity and magnetism. Lecture notes, labs, and presentations are also available as part of MIT's Open Courseware Repository: MIT Open Courseware: Electricity and Magnetism
Please note that this resource requires
Java Applet Plug-in.
MIT Open Courseware (OCW): http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htm
Keywords:
dipole, electric dipole, electric field, electric potential, interactive simulations, point charges, representations, three-dimensional simulation, vector field, vector field simulation, vectors, visualization
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created March 31, 2010
by Caroline Hall
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2004), WWW Document, (http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/licapplet/licapplet.htm).
MIT Phyics 8.02: Vector Fields - Mapping Fields Applet. (2008, July 31). Retrieved March 22, 2025, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/licapplet/licapplet.htm
National Science Foundation. MIT Phyics 8.02: Vector Fields - Mapping Fields Applet. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 31, 2008. http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/licapplet/licapplet.htm (accessed 22 March 2025).
MIT Phyics 8.02: Vector Fields - Mapping Fields Applet. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. 31 July 2008. National Science Foundation. 22 Mar. 2025 <http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/licapplet/licapplet.htm>.
%0 Electronic Source %D July 31, 2008 %T MIT Phyics 8.02: Vector Fields - Mapping Fields Applet %I Massachusetts Institute of Technology %V 2025 %N 22 March 2025 %8 July 31, 2008 %9 application/java %U http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/licapplet/licapplet.htm
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This Java applet is a much simpler version of the same topic, in which learners move two opposite point charges around to see the resultant field. Magnitude of charge can be changed by the user.
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