Physics 2 year 2

Purpose: 1). To drawelectricfieldslinestorepresenttheelectricfieldaroundseveralsymmetric

chargedistributions.
2).To determine the number of electrons present on an oil drop in an electric field between
two parallel plates
I. Drawing Electric Fields
Electric Field: Anelectricfieldexistsaroundanychargedobject.Anelectricfieldhasamagnitudeand
directionthatisnotdependentonanotherchargedobjectintheelectricfield.Themagnitudeand
directionofanelectricfieldataparticularplaceismeasuredwithasmallpositivetestcharge.

F
E
q

The electric field produces a force on another charged object. The units of electric field are

newtons / coulomb (N/C).

ElectricFieldLines:
Provideapictureoftheelectricfieldinaregionaroundachargedistribution.Thereareseveralrules
fordrawingelectricfieldlines.Electricfieldlines:
Alwaysleaveapositivechargeandenteranegativecharge.
Showthedirectionoftheelectricforce(tangenttotheelectricfieldline).
Areperpendiculartothesurfaceofachargedconductor.
Thespacingbetweenthelinesindicatesthestrengthoftheelectricfield.
Neverintersect.
UniformElectricFields:
Auniformelectricfieldwillresultfromplacingtwolarge,flatconductingplateswithopposite
chargeneareachother.
E

V
,whereVistheelectricpotentialdifferenceanddisthedistancebetweentheplates.
d

TheunitsforauniformelectricfieldisexpressedinVolts/meter(V/m)whichisequivalenttoN/C.
Procedure:
1. Open MS INTERNET EXPLORER.
2. Go to the site ELECTROSTATICS SIMULATION. http://www.falstad.com/emstatic/
3. The simulation should be open to a single source.
4. Deselect Draw equipotentials
5. Select E lines/rho/i
6. Under Setup select the charge distribution for the simulation to show the resultant Electric Field.

7. Explore a number of different charge distributions.

8. On the Lab Report draw at least five (5) electric field lines to represent the Electric Field of the
following charge distributions:
Single positive charge
Single negative charge (not shown in simulation)
Double positive charge
Positive and negative charge (dipole charge)
Parallel plates (conducting planes)
II. Millikans Oil Drop Experiment:
In 1909 Robert Millikan determined the charge on an electron by finding the force acting on charged oil
drops in an electric field. To find the electrical force, he first determined the mass of the oil drop and
then the gravitational force acting on the oil drop. Next he varied the intensity of the electric field until
the drop either stood still or moved at a constant speed (hard to determine). When this occurred, the sum
of the forces acting on the drop would be zero and he could calculate q. Unfortunately, there could be
more than one electron on the drop so that q could be the charge of several electrons rather than one. His
technique was to do thousands of trials and he concluded that the smallest value found must be that of the
charge of one electron. (A full explanation of Millikans Oil Drop experiment and an illustration of his
apparatus is on the web site of the simulation). Since the charge on an electron is known, you will
determine the number of electrons on an oil drop for three different trials of a simulation of Millikans
original experiment.
Theory and Information: Some equations and constants that you will find helpful:
Mass of an electron = 9.11 x 10-31 kg
Charge on an electron = 1.6 x 10-19 Coulombs
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.81 m/s2
Mass of the oil drop = 1.0 x 10-15 kg
For charged parallel plates E = F/q = V/d
Fg = mg
at equilibrium Fg = Fe
Procedure:
1.
Go to the site MILLIKANS OIL DROP EXPERIMENT.
http://physics.wku.edu/~womble/phys260/millikan.html
2.
Read the description of the apparatus that Millikan used and how he conducted the experiment.
3.
Open the simulation by clicking on here.
4.
Start the simulation by clicking START.
5.
Adjust the electric field E until one or more droplets are suspended in air. It takes a moment for
the effects of the changes in E to show up since they must overcome the momentum of the
droplets. Continue to adjust, as necessary, for the most accurate reading of E in a particular trial
but do not add new drops during a trial.
6.
Record the value of E used when the forces are balanced.
7.
STOP the simulation, then click on NEW DROPS to reset the simulation.
8.
Repeat steps 4-7 until you have 3 different values for E that will produce equilibrium. These
values should be approximately integer multiples or fractions of the first value for E. (This may
take more than 3 trials).
9.
Insert the values in the data table and shut down the simulation.
10.
Determine all values in the calculation table for three different values of E.
11.
Complete the lab report.

Static Electricity Tutorials

Balloons and Static Electricity
Electroscope

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/estatics/estaticstoc.html
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/simulations/balloon/webstart.jnlp
http://www.shep.net/resources/curricular/physics/P30/Unit2/electroscope.html

John Travoltage

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/simulations/travoltage/webstart.jnlp

Electostatics Simulation

www.falstad.com/emstatic

Charges and Fields

Electric Field of Dreams

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/simulations/chargesandfields/ChargesAndFields
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/simulations/electricfieldofdreams/webstart.jnlp

Electric Field Mapping

Electric Field Vectors and Lines

http://physics.weber.edu/amiri/director/DCRfiles/Electricity/efiel24s.dcr
http://qbx6.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/efield.shtml

Electric Field Lines (tres cool)

http://www.zahniser.net/~physics/field.html

Electric Field Lines

Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment
The E-field Game
Electric Field Hockey

http://www.surendranath.org/Applets/Electricity/FieldLines/FieldLinesApplet.html
http://www68.pair.com/willisb/millikan/experiment.html
http://www.batesville.k12.in.us/physics/PHYNET/e&m/efields_&_potential/efgApplet/EF
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/simulations/electrichockey/webstart.jnlp

Electric Field Simulations

AFTER you have completed the lab, open up the Electric Field Hockey, and try to get the puck
into the goal. When you feel very confident, try to get the puck into the goal for level 3!

Name______________________
LabPartner__________________
LabDate/Period______________
DateSubmitted_______________

Laboratory24
ElectricFields
PreLab:
Whydoelectricfieldlinesneverintersect?
Whatismeantbytheconceptthatchargeisquantized?

I.DiagramsofElectricFieldLines:
Singlepositivecharge

Singlenegativecharge

Doublepositivecharge

+
+

Positiveandnegativecharge

Chargedparallelplates

++++++++++++

II.MillikanOilDropData:
Trial #
1
2
3
4
5

Trial #
1

Value of E at equilibrium (kV/m)

E (N/C)
, 000

, 000

, 000

Fg

Fe

q total

# of electrons

Calculations: Please include all units in SI format.

Observations:Whathappenstotheoildropsintheabsenceofanelectricfield?Why?

Analysis:Whatconditionisnecessaryforequilibriumtobeestablished?

Conclusions:Werethenumberofelectronsontheoildropsalwaysaninteger?

Error:Byhowmuchdidyourcalculationofthenumberofelectronsvaryfromanintegervalue?

Error:Byhowmuchdidyourcalculationofthenumberofelectronsvaryfromanintegervalue?