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AP Physics C: E&M

Advanced calculus-based physics visualizations for electrostatics, conductors, capacitors, circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetism.

20 visualizationsFree & interactive
Electric Potential Energy & Potential visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Electric Potential Energy & Potential

Calculate electric potential $V = \frac{kQ}{r}$ and potential energy $U = qV$ for point charges and charge distributions. Visualize equipotential surfaces, explore the relationship $\vec{E} = -\nabla V$, and analyze how charges move from high to low potential.

Maxwell's Equations Overview visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Maxwell's Equations Overview

Explore the four Maxwell's equations that unify electricity and magnetism: Gauss's law, Gauss's law for magnetism, Faraday's law, and Ampère-Maxwell law. Visualize how these equations predict electromagnetic wave propagation and the interconnection between electric and magnetic fields.

Capacitor & Dielectric visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Capacitor & Dielectric

Explore capacitance $C = \frac{Q}{V}$ and how dielectric materials increase capacitance by reducing the electric field. Visualize energy storage $U = \frac{1}{2}CV^2$ in parallel-plate capacitors and analyze the effects of dielectric constant on charge distribution.

LC Circuit Oscillations visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

LC Circuit Oscillations

Visualize the differential oscillation of energy between an inductor's magnetic field and a capacitor's electric field. Live graphs of charge and current.

Transformer Principles visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Transformer Principles

Simulate an ideal transformer using Faraday's Law. Adjust primary/secondary turns and voltages to see magnetic flux transfer and conserve power.

Biot-Savart Law & Magnetic Field visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Biot-Savart Law & Magnetic Field

Calculate magnetic fields using the Biot-Savart law $d\vec{B} = \frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\frac{Id\vec{l} \times \hat{r}}{r^2}$ for current-carrying wires. Visualize how current elements contribute to the total magnetic field and explore field patterns around straight wires, loops, and complex geometries.

Electric Field & Gauss's Law visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Electric Field & Gauss's Law

Apply Gauss's law $\oint \vec{E} \cdot d\vec{A} = \frac{Q_{enc}}{\epsilon_0}$ to calculate electric fields for symmetric charge distributions. Visualize electric flux through Gaussian surfaces and solve for fields around spheres, cylinders, and infinite planes using symmetry arguments.

Ampère's Law visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Ampère's Law

Apply Ampère's law $\oint \vec{B} \cdot d\vec{l} = \mu_0 I_{enc}$ to calculate magnetic fields in symmetric configurations. Visualize magnetic field patterns inside solenoids, toroids, and around current-carrying wires using closed loop integration.

RL Circuit Transient Response visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

RL Circuit Transient Response

Analyze RL circuit behavior with exponential current growth $I(t) = I_0(1 - e^{-t/\tau})$ where $\tau = L/R$ is the time constant. Visualize how inductors resist current changes, store magnetic energy, and create transient responses when switches open or close.

Faraday's Law & Lenz's Law visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Faraday's Law & Lenz's Law

Apply Faraday's law $\mathcal{E} = -\frac{d\Phi_B}{dt}$ to calculate induced EMF from changing magnetic flux. Visualize how Lenz's law determines the direction of induced current to oppose flux changes, and explore applications in generators and transformers.

RLC Circuit Resonance visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

RLC Circuit Resonance

Explore series RLC resonance by sweeping driving frequency. See current amplitude peak at ω₀ = 1/√(LC), impedance minimum at Z = R, and quality factor determining bandwidth.

AC Circuit Phasor Diagrams visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

AC Circuit Phasor Diagrams

Animated phasor diagram showing V_R, V_L, V_C rotating vectors with real-time waveforms. Adjust ω, R, L, C to see phase angle φ and power factor change dynamically.

Magnetic Flux & Faraday/Lenz's Law visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Magnetic Flux & Faraday/Lenz's Law

Visualize Maxwell's equations in action. Drag a permanent magnet through an Amperian coil and observe how dΦ/dt directly induces an opposing EMF spike dictated by Lenz's Law.

Ampere's Law Solenoid Constructor visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Ampere's Law Solenoid Constructor

Construct an ideal solenoid and visualize the uniform internal magnetic field utilizing Ampere's Law. Adjust current I, solenoid length L, and turn count N to map B-field intensity.

Hall Effect Sensor Lab visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Hall Effect Sensor Lab

Inject current through a conducting slab placed in a transverse magnetic field to visualize the buildup of charge on the edges, generating the measuarble, transverse Hall Voltage.

RC Circuit Transient Response visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

RC Circuit Transient Response

Analyze the asymptotic decay curves of isolated RC Circuits. Switch between charging and discharging phases to plot Voltage and Current dynamically against the Time Constant (τ = RC).

Capacitors with Dielectric Insertion visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Capacitors with Dielectric Insertion

Visualize how pushing a dielectric constant (K) between parallel plates dynamically shifts Capacitance, Charge, Voltage, stored Energy (U), and E-Field intensity. Compare connected vs isolated scenarios.

Lorentz Force 3D Particle Accelerator visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Lorentz Force 3D Particle Accelerator

Fire charged particles into a uniform magnetic field. Visualize cyclotronic motion derived from the cross product F = q(v × B) and measure the resulting orbital radius based on mass, velocity, and charge.

Biot-Savart Law 3D Visualizer visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Biot-Savart Law 3D Visualizer

Visualize the 3D magnetic field vectors B generated by steady currents. Switch between straight conductive wires, circular loops, and solenoids to understand the Right Hand Rule and spatial 1/r² decay.

Electric Field & Equipotential Mapper visualization thumbnail
AP PHYSICS C: E&M

Electric Field & Equipotential Mapper

Interactive Gaussian graph paper. Map directional vectors of Electric Fields and prove they are perpendicular to drawn Equipotential surfaces.

Visualize AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

Notoriously considered one of the most challenging Advanced Placement courses, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism requires students to apply multi-variable geometry and integral calculus to completely invisible forces. This involves constructing Gaussian surfaces, executing Ampere's loops, and unraveling Maxwell's equations.

The five critical units of E&M build a complete picture of electromagnetism step-by-step: Electrostatics (Unit 1) calculates fields via Coulomb's Law and Gauss's Law; Conductors, Capacitors, and Dielectrics (Unit 2) examines electric flux acting on physical geometries; Electric Circuits (Unit 3) models multiloop resistor-capacitor setups; Magnetic Fields (Unit 4) utilizes Ampere's and Biot-Savart Laws; and the culmination is Electromagnetism (Unit 5) focusing entirely on Faraday's and Lenz's Laws of Induction leading into Maxwell's equations.

3D Vector Fields and Flux Simulation

ShowMeClass is uniquely positioned for E&M because 3D engines natively excel at rendering vector spaces and invisible fields. Using our interactive E&M visualizers, you can enclose a non-uniform point charge cluster inside a manipulatable 3D Gaussian sphere to visually compute passing flux. Our RC circuit trackers generate transient state graphs exactly mapping to the differential equations required for the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the visualizers to study Gauss's Law?

Yes, our electrostatics modules allow you to toggle on and trace electric field lines emanating from point charges and continuous charge distributions, making it incredibly easy to see and define symmetric Gaussian surfaces for integration.

Do you have interactive Biot-Savart Law simulators?

Indeed. Visualizing magnetic fields induced by moving current elements in 3D space is critical. We offer manipulable cross-product visualization tools that make the right-hand rule and the Biot-Savart calculus entirely intuitive.

What makes AP Physics C: E&M so difficult for high schoolers?

It requires applying integral calculus to 3-dimensional, abstract vector fields. Students must intuitively bridge their spatial understanding (knowing the field directions) with rigorous math (setting up the appropriate line or surface integral) simultaneously, which is what our visualizations are built to teach.