Topic · 10 games

Electrostatics: electric charge at rest

Rubbing, touching, and charged plates move electrons around, but never make or destroy charge. Charge always comes in whole electrons: Q = n·e, with e = 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ C.

Games in this topic

10 games

PLAY NOW · 92

Static Rub: Charge from Moving Electrons

Rubbing doesn't make charge; it moves electrons: Q = −n·e on one side, +n·e on the other. Charge a balloon, see what the wool keeps, count electrons, and make an ion.

Electric chargeElectrons
Play Static Rub
Charge
Q = −n·e
Electrons
n = |Q| ÷ e

PLAY NOW · 93

Oil Drop: Charge Comes in Electrons

A charged drop hovers when the electric force balances its weight: q·V ÷ d = m·g. Measure charges, count electrons, set the voltage, and find e from three drops.

Electric chargeMillikan's experiment
Play Oil Drop
Hovering
q·V ÷ d = m·g
Electrons
q = n·e

PLAY NOW · 96

Floating Bead: Coulomb's Law Against Gravity

Like charges push apart with F = k·q₁·q₂ ÷ r², harder the closer they are. A bead floats where that push equals its weight. Find the gap, the charge, the mass, and the floor's push.

Coulomb's lawElectric force
Play Floating Bead
Floating
k·q₁·q₂ ÷ r² = m·g
Gap
r = √(k·q₁·q₂ ÷ m·g)

PLAY NOW · 97

Charge Tug: Forces Between Charges

Charges push or pull with F = k·q₁·q₂ ÷ r², equal and opposite, and forces from several charges add. Measure a pull, find a balance point, add two forces, find a charge, and double everything.

Coulomb's lawAdding forces
Play Charge Tug
Two charges
F = k·q₁·q₂ ÷ r²
Balance point
q₁ ÷ x² = q₂ ÷ (d − x)²

PLAY NOW · 98

Field Probe: Force per Charge

The electric field is the force on a test charge divided by its charge, E = F ÷ q, and a point charge makes E = k·Q ÷ r². Find a field from a force, size a probe's force, add two fields, and find a distance.

Electric fieldForce per charge
Play Field Probe
Field from a force
E = F ÷ q
Field of a point charge
E = k·Q ÷ r²

PLAY NOW · 99

Electron Beam: Bending Charges with a Field

Between two charged plates the field is uniform, E = V ÷ d, and a charge feels a steady push across the beam, so its path bends into a parabola. Find the field, the acceleration, the bend, the voltage for a target, and a proton's bend.

Uniform fieldCharged particles
Play Electron Beam
Field between plates
E = V ÷ d
Bend in the plates
y = ½·(q·E ÷ m)·(L ÷ v₀)²

PLAY NOW · 100

Potential Map: Energy per Charge

Electric potential is energy per charge: a point charge makes V = k·Q ÷ r, potentials add as plain numbers, and carrying a charge q takes work W = q·ΔV. Read a potential, climb, walk a contour, add two charges, and find a ring.

Electric potentialWork and energy
Play Potential Map
Potential of a charge
V = k·Q ÷ r
Work to carry a charge
W = q·ΔV

PLAY NOW · 101

Particle Gun: Voltage into Speed

A charge that falls through a potential difference ΔV gains kinetic energy q·ΔV = ½·m·v². Find an electron's energy and speed, a proton's speed, an alpha particle's energy in eV, and the voltage that stops an electron.

Potential differenceKinetic energy
Play Particle Gun
Energy gained
K = q·ΔV
Speed reached
v = √(2·q·ΔV ÷ m)

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