PHYS*1010 Experiment #1: Electrostatic Field Mapping Purpose:

to investigate the spatial dependence of the electric potential associated with different source charge distributions to investigate the spatial dependence of the electric field associated with different source charge distributions

Equipment required:
two sheets of conductive paper two pieces of cardboard with pre-drilled holes two metal bar electrodes one metal ring electrodes a drafting board working surface an electronic multimeter a DC power supply a ruler sandpaper file for sharpening the probe tip

Introduction:
Electric potential is often an abstract and confusing concept. The idea of electric force is more intuitive and its extension to electric field, force/unit charge, usually presents less conceptual difficulty. These three quantities, however, are all inter-related, since electric potential is just a mathematical construct that allows electric fields to be treated more easily. Whereas the field is a vector quantity, the potential is a scalar and its mathematics is much simpler. Roughly, one can image the potential to be like the slope of a hill the steeper it is, the faster its value changes, the more force is exerted. The force points in the direction of steepest descent. You may like to start with this image of electric potential even though the analogy is not perfect. The equipotential plots you produce in this experiment will resemble topographic contour maps. There are several rules to keep in mind about electrical potentials: - the value of the potential at a point is the work it takes to move a unit charge from an arbitrary reference position to this point. Once the reference position is chosen it must remain the same for the whole field. - the potential on a conductor is everywhere the same if the charges are static. - an equipotential surface is a three-dimensional surface on which the electric potential V is the same at every point (like the surface of a conductor). If a test charge qo is moved from point to point on such an equipotential surface, the electric potential energy, qo V, does not change.

Because the potential energy does not change as a test charge moves over an equipotential surface, the electric field can do no work on the charge. It follows that E must be perpendicular to the surface at every point so that the electric force, qo E , will always be perpendicular to the displacement of a charge moving around on the surface. In other words: Field lines and equipotential surfaces are always mutually perpendicular. In this experiment, you will look at the field patterns for two different electrode configurations. In reality, source charge distributions establish three-dimensional electric fields and potentials. However, to simplify the procedure, we will be investigating the field patterns of electrode configurations constrained to two dimensions, using special conductive paper. The edges of the paper will affect the field, but if we stay several centimeters from the edge, this distortion will not be significant. The fields you map will be very similar to their three-dimensional analogues. Note: two-dimensional fields have equipotential lines instead of equipotential surfaces.

Procedure:
Configuration #1: Parallel Plate Capacitor
1. Using the cardboard (the one with four holes), mark out the locations of the holes and puncture the conductive paper with a pencil. 2. Place the cardboard then the conductive paper (dull side up), and finally the metal bars into the appropriate slots on the drafting board. The bars should be aligned vertically as shown on the next page, with the raised edge side against the paper. Secure the setup tightly with the screws to eliminate any gap between the electrodes and the conductive paper. 3. Turn on the power supply to its maximum setting for both the voltage and current control dials, and turn on the multimeter to the V setting (this is volts DC). 4. To plot equipotential lines, the voltmeter pen sensor is used to measure the potential at any point on the paper simply by touching the pen to the paper at that point. To map an equipotential line, touch the paper at various locations until the desired potential is indicated on the voltmeter. Mark the paper at this point clearly with the probe tip. Continue to move the probe to various locations on the paper, marking the paper only at locations where the voltmeter maintains the same reading. Connecting the points produces an equipotential line. 5. Measure the potential at 10 to 15 distances from the positive plate, along the centre line between the plates. Record your data in a table in your lab book. 6. When you have drawn many equipotential lines, turn off the power supply and remove the conductive sheet and metal bar electrodes. 7. Reproduce the equipotential lines you observed experimentally on figure 1, indicating the values of the potential at each electrode as well. 8. With a different colour, on figure 1 draw a representative array of electric field lines crossing the equipotential lines at right angles in the direction of decreasing potential. 9. Plot the potential as a function of distance from the positive plate, along the centre line between the plates, on the graph paper provided.

Figure 1: Experimentally measured equipotential and electric field lines for the parallel plate configuration.

Questions
Describe the plot of potential vs. distance; how does this compare with the predicted trend? What happens to the electric field at the edge of the plate region (at the fringes)? How would you expect the ratio of the plate length (l) versus the separation (d) to affect the fringing effects at the edges of the plates?

Configuration #2: Concentric circles

1. Punch out the necessary holes on the conductive paper as before, now using the cardboard with five holes. 2. Fit the cardboard on to the slots on the drafting board, then the conductive paper and metal ring on the very top. The ring should be positioned with the raised edge side against the paper. Secure the setup with the five screws (including the slot at the centre of the enclosed circle). 3. Turn on the power supply to its maximum setting, and turn on the multimeter to the V setting (this is volts DC). 4. Measure the potential as a function of radial distance from the centre, at 8 to 10 locations. Record your data in a table in your lab book. 5. When you have drawn many equipotential lines, turn off the power supply and remove the conductive sheet. 6. Reproduce the equipotential lines on figure 2, indicating the values of the potential at each electrode as well. 7. With a different colour, draw a representative array of electric field lines crossing the equipotential lines at right angles in the direction of decreasing potential. 8. It can be shown that for this configuration the potential is given by:

V ( r ) = C ln

()
r ro

where C is a constant, and ro is the radius of the inner electrode/screw plot the potential on a semi-log graph, as a function of at

( )=1
r ro

( ) ; remember to start the plot

r ro

Questions
Describe the plot of potential vs.

( ) ; how does this compare with the predicted trend?

r ro

Based on the electric field lines drawn in figure 2, where is the magnitude of the electric field the strongest? Where is the magnitude of the electric field the weakest? Explain.

Figure 2: Experimentally measured equipotential and electric field lines for the concentric circles configuration.

What your lab notebook should contain:

title of the lab brief introduction explaining the lab, in your own words figures 1 and 2, stapled or taped in data tables answers to the questions graphs appropriate conclusions

Voltage (V)

ro