Physics 260 – Electric Field Hockey
Objective:
In this lab, we will explore how charges electrically interact, via both the “force” and “field” pictures. We
will observe how a freely moving charged “puck” responds to one or more fixed charges. After exploring
the basic relationships, we will navigate the puck through several obstacle courses.
Equipment:
● Online simulation applet Electric Field Hockey Software at:
[Link]
ctric-hockey
Theory:
Force perspective:
In lecture, we learned Coulomb’s Law gives the size of the electric force exerted by charges q1 and q2
on each other when separated a distance r. (The value k is a constant, called Coulomb’s constant).
|
𝑘 𝑞1𝑞2 |
𝐹𝐸 = 2 (1)
𝑟
Note the force decreases with distance (in an “inverse square” relationship).
The force direction is:
attractive if the charges have opposite signs
repulsive if the charges have the same sign
Figure 1 shows an example of the latter. If both
charges were free to move, they would exert
equal & opposite forces on each other (Newton’s
3rd Law) and both accelerate away from each Fig1 – Repulsive FE (two + charges)
other.
However, suppose one of the charges (say q1) were pinned in place (often then notated as “Q”.) Then
only q2 is free to accelerate. By adjusting the charges’ relative position and separation, one can push q2
with a specific force and direction. This moveable q2 is our “puck” today (often notated as “q”).
Newton’s second law:
The acceleration of the puck depends on its mass, and is always in the same direction as the net force
exerted on it-- see eqn 2, familiar from Physics I. (Form 2b is with sizes only, and solved for a.)
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑎 (2)
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝑎= (2b -size only)
𝑚
Note that for a fixed net force, the acceleration of the puck will be smaller if its mass is larger—it is
more “stubborn” to change its motion. Conversely, a smaller mass will accelerate more. This is
important for today’s lab, as you will also have the ability to alter the mass of the puck.
Field perspective:
Instead of letting the charges have direct knowledge of each other (across a perhaps considerable
distance—a “spooky action-at-a-distance”), another way to handle their interaction is via a “middle
man” called the electric field. This allows the “cause” and “effect” to be separated for discussion.
The effect (on q):
An electric field is said to exist at a location, if a charged object placed there would experience an
electric force. The size of the force experienced by that charge (today, our “puck”) is determined by
the charge on the puck (q) and the electric field at its location:
𝐹𝐸 = |𝑞|𝐸 (3)
“Effect” rules that go with it:
Positive charges feel a force in the same direction as the local electric field.
Negative charges feel a force in the opposite direction as the local electric field.
The cause (by Q):
One (or more) charges elsewhere generate this electric field, which we say stands ready to act at
this location-- and at ANY other location in space whether there is anything there to feel it or not.
A single point charge (Q) causes an electric field (whose size diminishes with distance), given by:
𝑘|𝑄|
𝐸= 2 (4)
𝑟
“Cause” rules that go with it:
Electric field lines created by positive charges point radially away from them.
Electric field lines created by negative charges point radially towards them.
Consistency of “force” and “field” perspectives:
- Note that plugging the “cause” (eqn 4) into the “effect” (eqn 3) simply gives back eqn 1. - Likewise,
the “cause” & “effect” direction rules will give back the force directions (previous page). - This must
be so: the “field” and “force” pictures must produce consistent answers since they are simply
different perspectives on handling charge interaction.
Interactions with many charges:
For multiple fixed charges (Q1, Q2…) nearby to
a point “P” in space, we must do a vector sum
of all of the contributions to find the overall field
there (EP). A charge placed there would feel a
force from it per the “effect” rules (see ex Fig 2).
Note that the field also exists at all other
locations in space. Today’s software will
automatically sketch it in the entire region for
you. So you will be mostly concerned with the
“effect” side today—correctly predicting how Fig. 2: Field for equal & opposite
the moveable puck will react to the field it is Q1 & Q2. Third charge reacts to it.
placed in, as created by nearby fixed charge(s).
Software set-up:
Open the Electric Field Hockey applet
([Link]
hockey). Take a moment to get oriented and apply the correct initial settings:
Movable charge: Your “puck” is black, and is initially located on the left side of the screen. (Its own field
is never drawn; we are solely interested in how it’s affected by other charges.)
Fixed charge(s): These are red (+) and blue (-), and are initially located in “bins” which magically shield
the charges from affecting the puck (so we don’t have to actually take them to infinity, according to
equations 1 & 4!!). You will drag these charges out of the bins as requested/ needed.
Please note:
- once removed from the bins, no other barrier can “block” their influence on the puck in any way.
- field strength is indicated by field line darkness (not by line spacing, as in lecture).
Settings: Please use the following to start with:
Control: Setting: Job:
Mode click “practice” Sandbox for exploration (for now)
Mass set slider to 100 Control mass of puck
Puck is positive check Control sign of puck’s charge (+ to start)
Trace check Tracks motion of puck
Field check Draws Enet of fixed charge(s)
Anti-alias check crisper graphics
Goal: On the right, but note: goal scoring won’t be our primary concern until later.
Misc buttons: The puck is released to react to fixed charges by clicking Start. You may wish to Pause
the motion. You can set the puck back to its original position with Reset. To move all fixed charges
back into the bins, hit Clear (do not accidentally hit this while making fine adjustments!)
Procedure:
Part I: “Training” for field hockey
1.) Like charges, Part I (Q = +, q = +)
- Drag a positive (red) charge from the bin. Call this “Q”.
- Place it anywhere near the positively charged puck (“q”).
- Hit Start and observe the motion. The arrow on the puck is the net force it feels. Then answer:
a.) Force perspective:
The puck feels a force: away from Q towards Q
(highlight all that apply)
that increases that decreases
The puck accelerates:
(highlight one) away from Q towards Q
b.) Field perspective:
“Cause”
E field made by fixed charge (+Q): only at the puck’s location everywhere in space
(highlight all that apply)
pointing directly away pointing directly towards
gets stronger further away gets weaker further away
“Effect”
The puck (+q) feels a force:
with the field lines of Q against the field lines of Q
(highlight one)
c.) Press the “reset” button. Then, without restarting the trial, decrease the puck’s mass to 10
(everything else remaining the same.) Observe what happens to the force vector on the puck.
The puck now:
feels a force that is: larger smaller the same as before
(highlight one)
Now press “start” and observe the puck’s resulting motion, comparing it to your previous trial.
The puck now:
has an acceleration that is: larger smaller the same as before
(highlight one)
Did the size of the force change? How about the acceleration? Explain why for both responses.
The size of the force does not change. As a result of F = qE, the force's magnitude remains constant
because q and E remain constant. Because the mass is different in this instance, the acceleration
varies. F=ma states that when mass decreases, force remains constant but acceleration increases.
In the second scenario, we examined how the mass of the puck affects its acceleration when subjected
to a constant repulsive force from a charged object (Q). Here, the key concept is Newton's Second
Law of Motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force
acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (a = F/m). Even though the force exerted by Q
remained constant, reducing the mass of the puck resulted in a noticeable increase in its acceleration.
We initially have mass = 100 in the first scenario and drastically dropped to 90. The acceleration has
decreased. This can be explained by the fact that for the same force, a smaller mass offers less
resistance to the change in motion, leading to a greater acceleration.
2.) Like charges, Part II (Q = -, q = -)
- Clear the old fixed charge, then drag a negative (blue) charge to replace it. Call this “Q”.
- For the puck (“q”), restore its mass to 100. Change its sign to negative.
- Hit Start and observe the motion. Then answer the questions below:
a.) Force perspective:
The puck feels a force: away from Q towards Q
(highlight all that apply)
that increases that decreases
The puck accelerates:
(highlight one) away from Q towards Q
b.) Field perspective:
“Cause”:
E field made by fixed charge (-Q): only at the puck’s location everywhere in space
(highlight all that apply)
pointing directly away pointing directly towards
gets stronger further away gets weaker further away
“Effect”:
The puck (-q) feels a force: with the field lines of Q against the field lines of
Q
(highlight one)
3.) Unlike charges (Q = -, q = +)
- Leave the negative fixed charge from the previous trial, but move it
so that it is arranged as shown in figure 3 below.
- Toggle the sign of the puck (q) so it is positive again (as in step 1).
Fig 3 – Trial with unlike charges
Note: field NOT shown, to
improve clarity (and avoid
giving away the answers!)
- Press Start. View only the initial motion-- pause (or stop) the trial before the charges meet.
Then answer:
a.) Force perspective:
The puck feels a force: away from Q towards Q
(highlight all that apply)
that increases that decreases
The puck accelerates:
(highlight one) away from Q towards Q
b.) Field perspective:
“Cause”:
E field made by fixed charge (-Q): only at the puck’s location everywhere in space
(highlight all that apply)
pointing directly away pointing directly towards
gets stronger further away gets weaker further away
“Effect”:
The puck (+q) feels a force: with the field lines of Q against the field lines of Q
(highlight one)
Q1.) a.) According to your findings in Parts 1b and 3b, what is the general “effect” rule for how +q
feels a force based on the field at its location?
The closer a positive charge (puck) is to a fixed charge, the greater the force it feels due to
the electric field created by the fixed charge. The force is in the direction of the electric
field, which points away from a positive fixed charge and towards a negative fixed charge.
b.) Though I won’t make you do the final case (+Q & –q), also give the general rule for –q.
The closer a negative charge −q is to a fixed charge, the greater the force it feels due to
the electric field created by the fixed charge. The force is in the direction opposite to the
electric field, which points towards a positive fixed charge and away an negative fixed
charge.
4.) Unlike charges, continued
Now unpause your trial from above (or start a new one). We will now examine what happens later
on.
The software allows the puck to pass very near the fixed charge instead of colliding—it actually looks
like the puck passes through it, so you will need to imagine the fixed charges are under a thin piece of
glass that the puck glides on top of.
After the puck has passed to the right of Q and is moving away from it (not yet turned around)
please indicate the directions of the following quantities: (highlight one for each).
The field at the puck’s location: right left
The force on the puck: right left
The puck’s acceleration: right left
The puck’s velocity: right left
Q2.) a.) Does this contradict any of your previous answers? In Physics I terms, explain
the relationship between the velocity and acceleration during this phase of the motion.
No, because of its simple harmonic resonation. The acceleration is always pointing
in the same direction with the force and toward the equilibrium point. But velocity
is always opposite. If the puck is still moving to the right but slowing down, the
acceleration would be opposite to the velocity.
b.) The sentence below is not always true. Explain why, and then fix it by suggesting
replacement word(s) for the boldfaced word only.
“Positive charges always move in the same direction as the local electric field.”
Explanation:
The word "move" implies that the velocity of the positive charge is always in the direction of
the electric field, which is not necessarily true. The electric field determines the direction of the
force, which in turn determines the direction of the acceleration of the charge, not its
instantaneous velocity.
Corrected Sentence:
“Positive charges always accelerate in the same direction as the local electric field.”
By replacing "move" with "accelerate," the sentence correctly conveys that the electric field
dictates the direction of the force and thus the acceleration of the positive charge, aligning with
the principles of classical electromagnetism.
Q3.) General motion:
a.) What is the general motion of the puck over time? Briefly explain how this is made possible.
Simple harmonic motion, because in a suitable electric field configuration, such as near
two opposite charges, the electric field acts like a restoring force that draws the puck
back to the fixed charge, leading to oscillations around an equilibrium position.
b.) Where does the puck move the fastest?
The puck moves the fastest when it passes through the equilibrium position. This is
where the restoring force is zero and the kinetic energy is at its maximum.
c.) Qualitatively describe how far to the right (at minimum) you need to move the fixed charge (Q) so
that you score a goal instead. Explain.
The fixed charge needs to be at least halfway in between the puck and the goal – closer to the
goal. This is because the electric field of Q will pull the puck towards itself, and away from the
goal, when Q is less than halfway.
5.) Multiple Q system:
Now drag an additional negative charge from the bin, and re-arrange your set-up as shown in figure 4
below. Try your best to have Q1 and Q2 be equidistant from q and the center of the goal.
Figure 4 – Two negative fixed charges, positive puck
You should immediately notice that the overall electric field changes in complexity—it is no longer the
simple “radially towards/away” of a single point charge. That is because the field vector contributions of
both Q1 and Q2 are added together at each point in space—you can thank the computer program!
(Another example is Fig 2, though that is not the same charge distribution).
Q4.) If you can get the system set up very well, in what direction should the net force on the puck
be:
a.) initially? (Justify your answer.)
Going right and will accelerate if the q approaches Q1/Q2.
b.) when it is at the midpoint of the fixed charges? (Justify your answer.)
There is a force that goes towards Q1 and an opposite and equal force going towards Q2
and they both cancel out. Thus, the net force on the puck is zero, as there is no resultant
electric field to exert a force on it.
Q5.) If you do not set it up well, so that Q1 is initially closer to the puck, how does the puck move
just after it passes by? Explain.
According to the formula F=k|q1q2|/r^2, the electric field and the corresponding force are
inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the charges.
As the puck passes by Q1, it is still relatively close to Q1 and hence feels a strong
attractive force from it. The trajectory can be described as initially curving around Q1,
because the distance is smaller.
However, due to the presence of Q2, the puck's motion will be influenced by the resultant
force from both charges. The path might not be a perfect circle but a complex curve
influenced by the relative positions of Q1 and Q2. Over time, assuming the goal is aligned in
the direction of the initial force balance, the puck might find its way towards the goal.
Take CAREFUL NOTICE of your answer to Q5. It will be very useful in the next part of the lab.
Part II: Enough training, let’s play some field hockey!
Now that we’ve explored how the puck responds to stationary charges, let’s use our knowledge to steer
the puck around obstacles to the goal. You will click away from the “Practice Mode” and complete levels
of increasing difficulty.
The rules of the game: (compiled from many students trying to bend them!)
- Always use a positive puck. You may adjust the mass if you like.
- You will need to show your instructor a successful run to get checked off. Show him/her your
computer screen with the puck trace (easier), or re-run the trial with him/her as a witness.
- The puck must stay on the playing field (white) at all times, though you may put fixed charges out
of bounds (blue space) if you wish. (This can be seen by maximizing the program window.)
- Adjust the locations of the fixed charge(s) as needed between runs. You may not move them
while the puck is in motion.
Try to have a strategy in mind based on the concepts learned in Part I—don’t depend on blind luck!
Examine both the direction and strength of the overall field, but also remember the puck is not always
obligated to follow it (see Question 2b.) And remember: barriers cannot block the fields!
Add a screenshot of your two goals at the end of this lab report.
Difficulty Level 1:
Complete this level with the following fixed Q’s. Note the barrier is slightly shorter at the bottom.
a.) only two negative charges. Instructor initial: MLT
b.) only one positive charge and one negative charge. Instructor initial: MLT
(Note: Figure 2 may help for reference.)
Difficulty Level 2:
Complete this level with the following fixed Q’s:
a.) same as Level 1a, plus one more negative charge if you want it. Instructor initial: MLT
b.) same as Level 1b, plus one more negative charge if you want it. Instructor initial: MLT
1A
1B
2a)
2b)
