Application Exchange

EMF1 - Continuous and Discrete Charges

Nathaniel Kinsey, Saint Louis University

This lab explores the connection between continuous and discrete charge distributions and methods to calculate their fields and potentials. In Module 1, students directly compare the field distributions and potentials for various numbers of discrete charges and continuous distributions. It illustrates that under the proper constraints, indeed continuous distributions are good approximations of discrete charges, but that this can break down for a low density of charges. Module 2 of the application pushes students to develop a technique to identify the magnitude and sign of unknown charges in a random collection by performing a series of measurements of voltage and field. The application aims to solidify understanding of the relationship between formulas of field through Coulomb's Law and Gauss's Law and their expressions for point charge collections and continuous distributions.

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