Electric Potential

This interactive simulator explores Electric Potential in Electricity & Magnetism. 2D heatmap V = Σ kq/r. Drag charges, see equipotential colors. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • electric
  • potential
  • electric potential
  • electricity
  • magnetism

How it works

Scalar **electric potential** from point charges: **V = Σ k qᵢ / r** (same plane, relative units). The heatmap uses **blue** for lower **V** and **red** for higher **V**. Near each charge the magnitude blows up — color limits are set from the rest of the plane so you can still see structure. **E⃗ = −∇V**, so field lines run **downhill** on this map for a positive test charge.

Key equations

V(r⃗) = Σ k qᵢ / |r⃗ − r⃗ᵢ|  ·  E⃗ = −∇V