Christina Jean-Francois 111569694

Electric Field Plotting

Introduction/Theory:
Electric fields are vector fields. They are generated by electric charges or varying magnetic fields.
Electric field lines go from positive to negative charge. The main purposes of this lab are to plot
equipotential lines for two 2-dimensional charge distributions, and to construct the corresponding
electric field lines by using two carbonized acetate sheets, battery, voltage probe, and digital
voltmeter. One is parallel plate and the other is for electric dipole. The voltage difference between
two equipotential lines δV=V2−V1, and the change in distances between the two equipotential lines
(δx=x2−x1 ) that is taken in a direction perpendicular to them , as well as the
formula E=δVδx give the electric field E in a uniform part of the diagram.
When plotting equipotential and field lines for the parallel plate, we expect that the equipotential
lines and field lines will be parallel to each other. For dipole arrangement, we expect that the
equipotential lines will be curving away from each other and electric filed lines will be going from
positive point to negative point.

Method/Procedure:
1. Battery is connected to the terminal of the sheets, with both sheets stack on each
other but the sheet measuring is on top for better contact with the terminals.
2. Voltmeter is connected to the voltage probe (stationary voltage probe) via negative
input, and the positive input is connected to the voltage probe with handle. The voltage
probe with handle is used to measure voltage on the sheet, between the parallel plates.
3. Voltmeter is turned ON and set the scale to 2V.
4. The sheet with the plates is oriented with increasing voltage with increasing row
numbers, from low to high.
5. The positive battery terminal is connected to the right (sheet), and the negative
battery terminal is connected to the left (sheet) for contact with the sheet.
6. The voltages between the two plates are recorded on the worksheet.
7. Potentials at various points on the parallel sheet are measured using the voltage
probe with handle, and are recorded in the photocopy of the carbon sheets.
8. Low voltage as 0 and high voltage as on the sheet at the opposite terminal of the
sheet is measured and recorded.
9. Find the points with the difference in potential difference are zero at row (8,9)
across the sheet.
10. Record the points and repeat the same procedure for next rows to obtain more
equipotential points.
11. Obtain 7 equipotential lines.
12. Connect the points and draw the equipotential lines.
13. Electric field lines are drawn parallel to each line and perpendicular to equipotential
lines for the parallel sheets in the direction of positive charge to negative charge, high to
low E.
14. The same procedures from step 6 to 12 are repeated for dipole arrangement sheet.
15. Electric field lines are drawn parallel to each line and perpendicular to equipotential
lines for the parallel sheets in the direction of positive charge to negative charge, high to
low E.
Christina Jean-Francois 111569694

Data and Calculations:

V1 V2 δV E
Unit Volts Volts Volts N/C
Value 5.8 5.85 0.05 87.5

𝑉1 − 𝑉2 4.7𝑉 − 1.2𝑉 𝑉
|𝐸̅ | = = = 87.5𝑚
𝑑 . 04𝑚

Discussion/Conclusion:
The experiments for both parallel and dipole field support our hypothesis. The parallel sheet test
shows that equipotential lines are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the electric field
lines. The dipole arrangement experiment shows that equipotential lines away from each other as
potential is higher and higher, but perpendicular to the electric field lines. The electric field lines
are parallel to each other in parallel sheet experiment, and in dipole arrangement sheets, electric
lines are in mirror symmetry about the center of the point of dipole. Uncertainty for E is,
however, unusually larger.

Questions:

1. Why are the electrodes considered as equipotentials?

Since the electric field inside a conductor is zero that means the potential is constant inside a
conductor, which means the "inside" of a conductor is an equal potential region.

2. What does the density of the electric field lines imply about the electric field strength?
The number of lines in a specific area or a volume is defined as density, and the greater the
density of the lines, the greater the strength of the electric field.

3. How are the electric field lines oriented relative to the equipotential lines? Why?
Equipotential lines are always perpendicular to the electric field. No work is done on a charge
that moves along an equipotential line. Since maximum work is done on a charge that moves
along a field line, equipotential lines always intersect electric field lines at right angles

4. For the parallel plate configuration, what happens to the electric field lines and
equipotential lines at the edges of the source charge distribution?
The field lines are not as uniform at the edge of the plates compared to the inner part of the plates
because the electric becomes a little distorted at the edge of the plates. And since the
equipotential lines must always be perpendicular to the field lines, it too gets distorted.

5. For the electric dipole configuration, are any of the equipotential lines straight? Why or
why not?
Only the equipotential line on row 6 is straight as it is in the center point of the electric field. The
electric field strength at a given distance r from the electrically charged point will have the same
magnitude at each point on the surface with a radius r. The equipotential lines
are also symmetrical and have to perpendicular to the field lines. At row 6 marks the
symmetrical divide of the field lines which in turns causes the equipotential line to be straight.
Christina Jean-Francois 111569694

6. For the electric dipole configuration, what would the electric field between the two poles
look like if we swapped out the negative pole for another positive pole? Draw a sketch of
what the electric field lines would look like for this new configuration.

7. For the electric dipole configuration, where is the electric field strength greatest?
The electric field is greatest at locations closest to the surface of the charge and is
also greatest where the density of electric field lines is highest.