Games and Activities

The Electrostatic Video Game

MIT Simulation

The Electrostatic Video Game is a simulation consisting of one charge that is free to move and two charges that are fixed at specific locations. Using the principles of Coulomb’s Law, Pauli repulsion at close distances, and damping proportional to velocity, the objective of the game is to steer the moving charge around the maze to the exit in the lower right wall. This is accomplished by dynamically (in real time) changing the value of the charge on the moving particle in response to the forces acting on it due to the local electric field. By thinking about the the charges involved, and resulting fields, you should be able devise a strategy for guiding the particle to the exit.

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