Have you ever noticed in your physics class that the formula for the gravity of a planet looks suspiciously like the one for the electric force between two charges? Both have that familiar 1/r2 relationship. This isn’t a coincidence. Physics is filled with these deep patterns and analogies, but they can be hard to appreciate when you’re learning them as separate topics in different chapters.
To bridge these gaps, we are excited to introduce the Physics Fields Analogy Solver—a new, interactive web tool designed to help you explore the profound connections between Gravitational, Electric, and Magnetic fields side-by-side.
What is the Physics Fields Analogy Solver?
This tool isn’t just another calculator; it’s a comparative learning environment. At its core is a three-column layout that places Gravity, Electricity, and Magnetism next to each other. You can use a toggle switch and a dropdown menu to select either a fundamental concept (like Potential or Gauss’s Law) or a common problem scenario (like calculating orbital velocity).
When you make a selection, the tool instantly shows you the analogous formulas, problem statements, and solution methods for all three fields. This design makes the structural similarities in the physics—and the crucial differences—immediately obvious, helping you build a deeper, more intuitive understanding.
How to Use the Solver: A Quick Guide
The tool is designed for exploration. Here’s how to get started:
- Select Your View: Use the toggle switch at the top to choose between “Fundamental Concepts” for core formulas or “Problem Scenarios” for exam-style questions.
- Choose a Topic: Select a specific concept or problem from the dropdown menu. The three columns will instantly update.
- Solve for Any Variable: Within any field’s calculator, look for the “Solve For:” section. Click the radio button for the variable you want to calculate. Its input box will turn into the output display.
- Experiment: Enter your known values into the other input boxes. The answer is calculated in real-time, allowing you to instantly see how changing one variable (like distance) affects all the others.
How This Tool Will Supercharge Your Learning
This solver was explicitly designed to address common student pitfalls and build a more connected understanding of physics.
- Highlighting Differences in Laws: The side-by-side view makes it visually obvious that the magnetic field from a wire follows a 1/r law, while the electric and gravitational fields from point sources follow a 1/r2 law. These distinctions are crucial for exams.
- Emphasizing Where Analogies Break Down: Some of the most important lessons are where the comparisons don’t work. The tool has cards marked “Not Applicable” that clearly explain why a simple gravitational dipole doesn’t exist or why the magnetic force does no work on a particle. Understanding these limits prevents you from overextending an analogy.
- Clarifying Complex Concepts: The “Force on a Moving Particle” scenario makes the unique, velocity-dependent, and perpendicular nature of the magnetic force unforgettable when compared to the simpler static forces of gravity and electricity.
- Mastering the Algebra: By allowing you to solve for any variable, the tool helps you become comfortable with rearranging equations. Want to find the distance needed for a specific force? Just select “Distance” as your target variable and the tool does the algebra for you, reinforcing the mathematical relationships.
Core Physics Principles Covered
The tool is built on the foundational equations of classical physics that are central to the IBDP curriculum and introductory university courses, including:
- Newton’s Law of Gravitation
- Coulomb’s Law
- The Lorentz Force Law
- Gauss’s Law, Faraday’s Law, and Ampere’s Law
Whether you’re a student preparing for an exam, an educator looking for a new teaching aid, or just a curious explorer of the laws of nature, this page is your gateway to hands-on, interactive learning.
Dive in, experiment, and see how the elegant patterns of physics reveal themselves across different domains of the universe!
The link for this tool is at https://prayogashaala.com/fieldcomparison/a0.html
[ Prayogashaala.com is my new website to showcase all apps that I develop as my passion. Please visit and offer your suggestions to further improvement ]
