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.
What to look for
- The background color shows the electric potential (red for positive, blue for negative).
- Equipotential lines always cross the field lines at right angles.
Controls
Probe Info
Point at the field (or pick 📍 Probe and tap) to read the potential and field there.