Equipotential Lines And Electric Fields During This Laboratory You Will Map Out Lines Of Constant Electric Potential (Voltage) For Conducting Electrodes Of Various Shapes. An Electric Field Map Will Be Gencrated From The Equipotential Lines By Using The Fact That The Field Lines Are Always Perpendicular To Lines Of Constant Electric Potential Procedure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equipotential Lines and Electric Fields During this laboratory you will map out lines of constant electric potential (voltage) for conducting electrodes of various shapes. An electric field map will be generated from the equipotential lines by using the fact that the field lines are always perpendicular to lines of constant electric potential. Procedure: Choose one of the papers with conducting ink and place it on the cork board. There will be two lines or points made of the conducting ink; these will function as electrodes. Push the conducting pins through the electrodes; these will be used to provide the electrical contact to the power supply, as well as to hold the paper in place. Connect the power supply to the conducting pins using the wires and alligator clips. One silver electrode should be connected to the power supply ground (black output), the other to the positive power supply output (red). To minimize confusion, used back and red wires, respectively. Set the multimeter for DC voltage measurement and connect the positive (red) and negative (black) inputs of the multimeter directly to the corresponding outputs on the power supply and adjust the power supply voltage until it reads 10 volts. Disconnect the positive connection between the power supply and the multimeter at the power supply end. This wire will now serve as a probe which will allow you to measure the electric potential at any point on the paper. You want to map out curves of constant electric potential with values of 8, 6, 4 and 2 volts. Most of your time in this experiment will be spent generating these equipotential curves. Don't write on the black paper, since it will be used by other classes. Do your work on a separate sheet of paper. After you have drawn these equipotential curves, draw the electric field lines using the property that electric field lines are always perpendicular to equipotential lines. The electric field lines should be equally spaced as they are leaving or entering an electrode. Repeat, using another pattern. Questions: AEAV 1. How does the spacing between the equipotential lines in a region of the paper relate to the strength of the electric field in that region? the space & increases, & decreases, 2. How does the spacing between electric field lines in a region relate to the strength of the electric field? 3. For each pattern, choose a point and calculate the electric field there using two nearby equipotential surfaces. 4. For each pattern, in what regions is the electric field strongest? In what areas is it weakest? Explain how you know. You do not need to write a full report this time. Just turn in your work, including answers to the questions. There will be no group reports; every person must turn in their own report this time.