Gaining Intuition About Electric Potential

The concept of electric potential difference, or voltage, is abstract and difficult to introduce. Existing lab activities and simulations are beneficial, but they can seem obtuse and disconnected from concepts such as field and energy. The purpose of this activity is to help students gain a natural intuition about what electric potential represents, how it is linked to the concept of electric field, and why it is useful. Students find patterns in two grids of numbers, compare their observations to topographical maps, and use manipulatives to explore an analogy with gravity. I have found that this approach increases students&rsquo; engagement with electric potential and helps them use that concept meaningfully in subsequent applications such as electric circuits. <em>Primary Image:</em>&nbsp;Elevation topography in Utica. This is a contour map of hills southeast of the Utica University campus, with lines of elevation labeled in feet. USGS The National Map: National Boundaries Dataset, 3DEP Elevation Program, Geographic Names Information System, National Hydrography Dataset, National Land Cover Database, National Structures Dataset, and National Transportation Dataset; USGS Global Ecosystems; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data; USFS Road data; Natural Earth Data; U.S. Department of State HIU; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.