Computer Modeling and Design the Virtual Lab "Electric Field" with a Real Prototype

The article discussed development of the virtual laboratory work "Electric field", which is an analogue of the real prototype. The real prototype was the lab installation "Investigation of electric field" used by students of the Novosibirsk Technical University when performing an experiment to investigate electric field. In the experiment, using a probe, the potential distribution of the electric field of a system of two parallel charged metal plates and a conducting ring between them was determined. The forced transition to distance learning during the pandemic has posed the challenge of developing virtual analogues of existing real-life labs. Thanks to the students’ project activities of computer modeling organized at the Department of General Physics, it was possible to develop a number of virtual laboratory works. The students’ team has developed a virtual analogue of the real installation used in the study of electric field. The use of modern software implementation tools has led to creation the software product with an expressive 3D image of the installation and the interface that allows you to perform actions similar to those in the real experiment. With the help of the mouse, virtual instruments are turned on and off – the generator and voltmeter. The virtual probe is moved with the mouse in the displayed area of the simulated electric field. The potential value calculated according to the equation of the mathematical model is displayed on the digital indicator of the virtual voltmeter. The points of equal potential are fixed by pressing the mouse button and displayed on the grid.