In this activity, you will explore the relationship between the strength and direction of the electric field lines to the type of charge on a particle and its magnitude. You will also explore the interactions between two or more charged particles and observe their movement. To begin your activity, open the simulation: Electric Field of Dreams. Directions: At any time you may click the Reset All button to reset all the settings; click the Play/Pause button to pause or resume the motion; or pause the motion and then click the Step button to observe the motion step-by-step. Part A
To begin, click the Add button to add one object to the system. Observe the electric field around this charged object. You may move the object around the field by dragging it with your cursor. While the arrows indicate the direction of the electric field around the charge, the length of the arrows indicates the field strength. Based on your observations of the field, what is the charge on this object? Give your reasoning.
Part B
Set the charged object in motion by dragging it and releasing it. What do you observe about the behavior of the field lines in the vicinity of the object?
Part C
Add another charged object to the electric field by clicking the Add button again. What is the charge of this new object? Give your reasoning. What do you observe about the behavior of both the objects as well as the field lines in the vicinity of both the objects?
Part D
Click the Remove button to remove one of these objects, and then click the Properties button to set properties for the next object you will add. Just change the sign of the charge to (+), then click Done. Click Add to add this new object to the field. Now what do you observe about the behavior of the two objects and the field lines that surround them?
Part E
With the two oppositely-charged objects still in the field, apply an external field to the system: In the External Field box, simply drag the dot until it becomes an electric field vector in some direction. Observe, describe, and explain the behavior of the two objects.