Electric Field Simulator
Drag and drop positive and negative charges to see how they warp the electric field surrounding them.
About this simulation
- What
- An interactive Physics simulation of Electric Field Simulator.
- Who
- Designed for AP, IB, and A‑Level Physics students.
- How
- Runs in any modern browser — drag, adjust, and explore in real time.
Updated 2026-03-20
Key Concepts
Electric Field Lines
Field lines originate from positive charges and terminate at negative charges. Their density indicates field strength.
Equipotential Surfaces
Lines where the electric potential (voltage) is equal everywhere. They are ALWAYS perfectly perpendicular to the electric field lines.
Vector Superposition
The total electric field at any point is the vector sum of the individual fields produced by every single charge.
Making the Invisible Visible
Electromagnetism is hard because we can't see the 'field' that transmits the forces. This simulator acts like magic glasses, letting you see the invisible tension in the space around electric charges.
Try placing a single positive charge and a single negative charge near each other. You've just created an 'Electric Dipole'! Notice how the field lines arc beautifully from the positive to the negative.
Now turn on the 'Potential Heatmap'. The red ridges are 'hills' of high potential near positive charges, and the blue valleys are 'holes' of low potential near negative charges. An electron (negative) always wants to roll up the hill, while a proton (positive) rolls down into the valley.