Mapping the Electric Field Laboratory: Due Tuesday, 11 Mar.

Purpose: To determine the lines of equipotential in several two-dimensional charge distributions and then to construct the electric field lines from those equipotential lines and estimate the strength of the E-field at the mid-point of the charge distributions.

  1. Introduction
  2. Statement of purpose of the investigation.
  3. Summary of the relationship between lines of equipotential and the electric field. (See Chapter/Section 17.7 in the text.)
  4. Brief description of the apparatus and procedure.
  5. Data
  6. Your six sketches of equipotential lines
  7. Three at 2 volt intervals with a 10 volt total potential difference.
  8. Three at 4 volt intervals with a 20 volt total potential difference.
  9. Analysis
  10. On each of your equipotential sketches draw in the electric field lines using a different color writing instrument. Insure that each sketch is properly labeled and annotated.
  11. On each of your equipotential sketches, pick a pair of equipotential lines nearest the geometric center of the charge distribution and use those two equipotential lines to calculate the magnitude of the electric field at the point between them using.
  12. Conclusions/Discussion
  13. Completely describe the shape of equipotential lines and the shape of the E field lines, including the two E field strengths of the two-dimensional dipole charge distribution.
  14. Completely describe the shape of equipotential lines and the shape of the E field lines, including the two E field strengths of the two-dimensional parallel plate charge distribution.
  15. Completely describe the shape of equipotential lines and the shape of the E field lines, including the two E field strengths of the two-dimensional point-plate charge distribution.

Tips:

1.  When describing the equipotential lines and the electric field lines don’t ignore the edges of the distribution.

2.  Only an amateur would write this up without first checking their results against authoritative figures from the text (17.7) or the web. Do so.

3.  There should be an obvious relationship between the magnitude of the E fields in the center of the charge distributions between the 10 volt and 20 volt sketches. Discuss this in each case.