Electric Field Hockey
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Purpose: Explore the nature of electrical forces (Coulomb's Law) and have some physics phun.
Introduction: We will utilize the simulation program "Electric Field Hockey" which illustrates the
interaction force between charges in a game situation. We will utilize the program in two ways.
In the first part you will experiment with the forces on a charged puck in an organized fashion to
answer the questions below. In the second part, you use this knowledge to score points to at
least level 2.
Procedure:
Part I – Explore the simulation
1. Point your web browser to the PhET site and locate the Electric Field Hockey simulation
under Physics: Electricity, Magnets and Circuits and select
or you may go to
http://phet.colorado.edu/new/simulations/sims.php?sim=Electric_Field_Hockey
2. Spend a couple minutes playing with the simulation to get acquainted with the controls.
Answer the following questions:
a. With a positively charged puck and a positive driving charge from the bin, in what
direction is the force on the puck? As the driving charge gets closer to the puck, what
happens to the size of the driving force?
b. With a positively charged puck an a negative driving charge from the bin, how does the
force on the puck react compared to the positive driving charge?
c. Realizing that when two driving charges are used, the total force is the vector sum of the
forces from the two charges. Using the positive puck and with the program in the
practice mode, place two positive charges to make a goal. Sketch the charges below.
d. Explain how the puck motion is affected as its mass is increased.
e. With a negative puck and two positive charges, make the puck oscillate toward and
away from the goal. Can you make a stable pattern?
Part II – Play Game, Score Goals
Score as many goals as you can using the following restrictions. Make sure your instructor
witnesses each and initials so you get credit!
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Difficulty 1 Freestyle (any way you can get it in the goal)
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Difficulty 1 Positive (+) puck, all other charges Positive (+)
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Difficulty 1 Positive (+) puck, only one other Positive (+) charge
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Difficulty 2 Freestyle
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Difficulty 2 Positive (+) puck, all other charges Positive (+)
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Difficulty 3 Freestyle
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Bonus – Hydrogen Atom: On the practice level, get a negatively charged puck to orbit
a positive charge (Hint: You will have to use pause and move some things to set this
up.)