supported by
the National Science Foundation
written by
John Belcher
designer:
Michael Danziger
This is a Quicktime animation that shows creation of an electric field through charge separation. It begins with five negative and five positive charges, all at the same point in space (no electric field). One by one, the five positive charges are moved at constant velocity to the same position L along the horizontal axis. The strength of the electric field grows as each positive charge is moved into place. The item may be viewed as a video or in stepped motion.
This item is part of a larger collection of visualizations developed by the MIT TEAL/Studio Physics Project to support an introductory course in electricity and magnetism. Lecture notes, labs, and presentations are also available as part of the MIT Open Courseware Repository: MIT Open Courseware: Electricity and Magnetism
Please note that this resource requires
Quicktime.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/introphys/items/detail.cfm?ID=9952">Belcher, John. MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field. May 24, 2008.</a>
J. Belcher, MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field (2004), <http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm>.
Belcher, J. (2008, May 24). MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm
Belcher, John. MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field. May 24, 2008. http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm (accessed 7 September 2024).
Belcher, John. MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field. 2004. 24 May 2008. National Science Foundation. 7 Sep. 2024 <http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm>.
%A John Belcher %T MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field %D May 24, 2008 %U http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm %O video/quicktime
%0 Electronic Source %A Belcher, John %D May 24, 2008 %T MIT Physics 8.02: Electrostatics - Creating an Electric Field %V 2024 %N 7 September 2024 %8 May 24, 2008 %9 video/quicktime %U http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/electrostatics/CreateField/createField.htm
Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
This related animation by the same authors shows the separation of one positive and one negative charge of equal magnitudes, resulting in the classic electric dipole field pattern.
A companion animation by the same authors that depicts the opposite phenomenon: the destruction of an electric field. It begins with five positive and five negative electric charges separated by a distance L in space. One-by-one, the positive charges are moved to the position of the negative charges, with strength of field decreasing as each charge is moved into place.