• The superposition principle for the electrostatic potential;
• How to calculate the distance formula \(\frac{1}{|\vec{r} - \vec{r}'|}\) for a simple specific geometric situation;

This is a great first programming activity.

Consider a system consisting of four point charges arranged on the corners of a square in 3D Cartesian space of coordinates \((x,y,z)\).

1. Write a python function that returns the potential at any point in space caused by four equal point charges forming a square. Make the sides of the square parallel to the \(x\) and \(y\) axes and on the \(z=0\) plane.

   To do this you will need the expression for a the potential due to a single point charge \(V= \frac{k_Cq}{r}\) where \(r\) is the distance from the point charge. You will also need to use the fact that the total potential is the sum of the potentials due to each individual point charge.

   It is important that we ask students first to create a function for the potential, and only then try to visualize the potential. This allows students to reason about the computation for a single point in space (defined in their choice of coordinate systems).

2. Once you have written the above function, use it to plot the electrostatic potential versus position along the three cartesian axes.

   Since the students have already written a function for their potential, they can create a plot by creating an array for \(x\) (or \(y\), or \(z\)), and then passing that array to their function, along with scalars for the other two coordinates. Many students will discover this simply by modifying an example script they find on the web, replacing \(\sin(x)\) or similar with their function. It is well worth showing this easier approach to students who attempt who attempt to write a loop in order to compute the potential at each point in space.

   We ask students to explicitly plot the potential along axes because students seldom spontaneously think to create a 1D plot such as this.

3. Label your axes.
4. Work out the first non-zero term in a power series approximation for the potential at large \(x\), small \(x\), etc. Plot these approximations along with your computed potential, and verify that they agree in the range that you expect. Useful 1\(^{st}\) order Taylor expansions are: \begin{eqnarray} \sqrt{1+\epsilon} &\sim& 1+\frac{\epsilon}{2} \\ \frac{1}{1+\epsilon} &=& 1-\epsilon \end{eqnarray} where \(\epsilon\) is a small quantity.

   This may need to be omitted on the first Tuesday of class, since students probably will not yet have seen power series approximations. It may work in this case to at least talk about what is expected at large distance, since "it looks like a point charge" is reasoning students do make.

   Students struggle with the \(x\) approximations (assuming the square is in the xy plane). Each pair will probably need to have a little lecture on grouping terms according to the power of \(x\), and keeping only those terms for which they have every instance.

Extra fun

Create one or more different visualizations of the electrostatic potential. For example a 2D representation in the \(z=0\) plane.

More extra fun

Create a plot of the potential along a straight line that is not one of the axes. Hint: start from a line on the \(z=0\) plane, then try a random straight line. You can use your browser for help.

Even more extra fun

Move the charges around (e.g., off the \(z=0\) plane) and see what happens to your graphs

Dipole fun

Repeat the above (especially the limiting cases!) for four point charges in which half are positive and half negative, with the positive charges neighbors.

Common visualizations for 2D slices of space include contour plots, color plots, and "3D plots". Another option (less easy) would be to visualize an equipotential surface in 3 dimensions. It is worth reminding students to consider other planes than those at \(x=0\), \(y=0\), and \(z=0\).

Quadrupole fun

Repeat the above (especially the limiting cases!) for four point charges in which half are positive and half negative, with the positive charges diagonal from one another. It will help in this case to place the charges on the axes (rotating the square by 45 degrees), since otherwise the potential on each axis will be zero.

The electrostatic potential due to a point charge at the origin is given by: \begin{equation*} V=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{q}{r} \end{equation*}

1. (2pts) Find the electric field due to a point charge at the origin as a gradient in rectangular coordinates.
2. (2pts) Find the electric field due to a point charge at the origin as a gradient in spherical coordinates.
3. (2pts) Find the electric field due to a point charge at the origin as a gradient in cylindrical coordinates.

Consider the fields at a point \(\vec{r}\) due to a point charge located at \(\vec{r}'\).

1. Write down an expression for the electrostatic potential \(V(\vec{r})\) at a point \(\vec{r}\) due to a point charge located at \(\vec{r}'\). (There is nothing to calculate here.)
2. Write down an expression for the electric field \(\vec{E}(\vec{r})\) at a point \(\vec{r}\) due to a point charge located at \(\vec{r}'\). (There is nothing to calculate here.)
3. Working in rectangular coordinates, compute the gradient of \(V\).
4. Write several sentences comparing your answers to the last two questions.

Write the equation for the electrostatic potential due to a point charge.

Instructor's Guide

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students will usually have seen the electrostatic potential due to a point charge in their introductory course, but may have trouble recalling it.

Whole-Class Conversations

As students try to remember the formula, many will conflate potential, potential energy, force, and electric field. Their answers may have some aspects of each of these. We use this question to get the iconic equation into the students' working memory in preparation for subsequent activities. This question also be used to help student disambiguate these different physical quantities.

Correct answers you're likely to see

\[V=\frac{kq}{r}\]

\[V=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\frac{q}{r}\] You may want to discuss which constants to use in which contexts, e.g. \(k\) is short and easy to write, but may be conflated with other uses of \(k\) in a give problem whereas \(\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\) assumes you are working in a particular system of units.

Incorrect answers you're likely to see

• Two charges instead of one \[\cancel{V=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r}}\]
• Distance squared in the denominator \[\cancel{V=\frac{kq}{r^2}}\]
• Vector values \[\cancel{V=\frac{kq\, \hat r}{r}}\]

Possible follow-up questions to help with the disambiguation:

• Relationship between potential and potential energy \(U = qV\)
• Which function is the derivative of the other: \(1/r\) or \(1/r^2\)?
• Which physical quantity (potential or electric field, potential energy or force) is the derivative of the other?
• What is the electrostatic potential conceptually?
• Which function falls off faster: \(1/r\) or \(1/r^2\)?
• What are the dimensions of potential? Units?
• Where is the zero of potential?

Wrap-up

• This could be a good time to refer to the (correct) expression for the potential as an iconic equation, which will need to be further interpreted (”unpacked”) in particular physical situations. This is where the course is going next.
• This SWBQ can also serve to help students learn about recall as a cognitive activity. While parts of the equations that students write may be incorrect, many other parts will be correct. Let the way in which you manage the class discussion model for the students how a professional goes about quickly disambiguating several different choices. And TELL the students that this is what you are doing. Deliberately invoke their metacognition.
• Many students may not know that the electrostatic potential that we are talking about in this activity is the same quantity as what a voltmeter reads, in principle, but not in practice. You may need to talk about how a voltmeter actually works, rather than idealizing it. It helps to have a voltmeter with leads as a prop. Students often want to know about the “ground” lead. We often tie a long string to it (to symbolize making a really long wire) and send the TA out of the room with the string, “headed off to infinity” while discussing the importance of setting the zero of potential. The extra minute or two of humerous byplay gives the importance of the zero of potential a chance to sink in.

We use this small whiteboard question as a transition between The Distance Formula (Star Trek) activity, where students are learning about how to describe (algebraically) the geometric distance between two points, and the Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (with Series) activity, where students are using these results and the superposition principle to find the electrostatic potential due to two point charges.

This activity is the initial activity in the sequence Visualizing Scalar Fields addressing the representations of scalar fields in the context of electrostatics.

In this unit, you will explore the electrostatic potential \(V(\vec{r})\) due to one or more discrete charges and the gravitational potential \(\Phi(\vec{r})\) due to one or more discrete masses. How does the potential vary in space? How do equipotential surfaces and the superposition principle help you answer these questions graphically? How does the value of the potential fall-off as you move away from the charges? How do power series approximations help you answer these questions algebraically?

Key Activities/Problems

• Drawing Equipotential Surfaces
• Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (with Series)
• Linear Quadrupole

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

• Describe the important similarities and differences between the electrostatic potential and the gravitational potential.
• Sketch the potential due to a small number of discrete charges or masses, showing important regions of interest and qualitatively depicting the correct spacing between equipotential surfaces (or curves).
• Compute power and Laurent series expansions from a real-world problem using simple, memorized power series.
• Truncate a series properly at a given order by keeping all the terms up to that order and none of the terms of higher order.
• Discuss in detail the relationship between the graphical and algebraic representations of the potentials.

• The superposition principle for the electrostatic potential;
• How to calculate the distance formula \(\frac{1}{|\vec{r} - \vec{r}'|}\) for a simple specific geometric situation;
• How to calculate the first few terms of a (binomial) power series expansion by factoring out the dimensionful quantity which is large;
• How the symmetries of a physical situation are reflected in the symmetries of the power series expansion.

• The gradient is perpendicular to the level curves.
• The gradient is a local quantity, i.e. it only depends on the values of the function at infinitesimally nearby points.
• Although students learn to chant that "the gradient points uphill," the gradient does not point to the top of the hill.
• The gradient path is not the shortest path between two points.

Students are prompted to consider the scalar superposition of the electric potential due to multiple point charges. First a single point charge is discussed, then four positive charges, then an electric quadrupole. Students draw the equipotential curves in the plane of the charges, while also considering the 3D nature of equipotentials.

• Divergence of a vector field (at a point) is the flux per unit volume through an infinitesimal box.
• How to predict the sign and relative magnitude of the divergence from graphs of a vector field.
• (Optional) How to calculate the divergence of a vector field with computer algebra.

• A component of the curl of a vector field (at a point) is the circulation per unit area around an infinitesimal loop.
• How to predict the sign and relative magnitude of the curl from graphs of a vector field.
• (Optional) How to calculate the curl of a vector field using computer algebra.

In this small group activity, students determine various aspects of local points on an elliptic hill which is a function of two variables. The gradient is emphasized as a local quantity which points in the direction of greatest change at a point in the scalar field.

Students explore the effects of putting a point charge at various places inside, outside, and on the surface of a cubical Gaussian surface. The Mathematica worksheet or Sage activity shows the electric field due to the charge, then plots the the flux integrand on the top surface of the box, calculates the flux through the top of the box, and the value of the flux through the whole cube.

Students work in groups to measure the steepest slope and direction at a given point on a plastic surface and to compare their result with the gradient vector, obtained by measuring its components (the slopes in the coordinate directions).

Each small group of 3-4 students is given a white board or piece of paper with a square grid of points on it.

Each group is given a different two-dimensional vector \(\vec{k}\) and is asked to calculate the value of \(\vec{k} \cdot \vec {r}\) for each point on the grid and to draw the set of points with constant value of \(\vec{k} \cdot \vec{r}\) using rainbow colors to indicate increasing value.

Students are shown a topographic map of an oval hill and imagine that the classroom is on the hill. They are asked to point in the direction of the gradient vector appropriate to the point on the hill where they are "standing".

Students, pretending they are point charges, move around the room so as to make an imaginary magnetic field meter register a constant magnetic field, introducing the concept of steady current. Students act out linear \(\vec{I}\), surface \(\vec{K}\), and volume \(\vec{J}\) current densities. The instructor demonstrates what it means to measure these quantities by counting how many students pass through a gate.

Students, pretending they are point charges, move around the room acting out various prompts from the instructor regarding charge densities, including linear \(\lambda\), surface \(\sigma\), and volume \(\rho\) charge densities, both uniform and non-uniform. The instructor demonstrates what it means to measure these quantities. In a remote setting, we have students manipulate 10 coins to model the prompts in this activity and we demonstrate the answers with coins under a doc cam.