Electric Field Mapping

Submitted by: Hannah Okray

Physics Class: 211
Lab Section: A
Date Performed: 6/24/14
Date Submitted: 6/26/14
Lab Partner: Aubin Fowler
Questions

1. The fields have the greatest strengths nearest the disks. Also it was noticed that in
between the two disks where the lines were straighter, that there was a greater strength.
2.
a.

b.

=
()

c. No, the distances are varied and not constant.
d. Yes, the charges trajectory would follow the field line. This happens because the
field lines are going away from the positive and towards the positive.
4. The actual plates, as opposed to theory, causes fringing due to fact that there is an
attraction from the positive to the negative. The lines will take the shortest path across, which
is straight, until they no longer can. When this happens, the attraction causes them to curve,
causing the fringing.

Discussion

Purpose:
The electric field mapping lab required a plot of electrode configurations by determining the
equipotential lines and then drawing in the lines of the force, as shown on the attached pages.
Validation:
A small circular terminal and a parallel plate capacitor were used to plot the equipotential lines.
Though the voltage source was set at 5 V, the voltages of the plates read 5.06 V and 5.08 V
respectively. Also, while marking the points of the specific voltages, it was decided that the
accuracy of each point was .03 V. This seemed to be suitable as the finished images, attached,
appeared as the accepted images shown below in Figure 1 and 2.





Figure 1: Parallel plate capacitor Figure 2: Small circular terminals

Error sources:
Some possible errors might have taken place during the lab. One error would be that as the
mechanism did not hold down the papers tightly, they moved slightly while finding the different
voltages. This could have caused the points to be off in whichever direction the paper moved.
Another error was that the bolts on the back of the mechanism made it difficult to move the
probe close to read the voltages close to the small circular terminals. This caused for fewer data
points, making the connection of the points less accurate.
http://labman.phys.utk.edu/ph
ys222core/modules/m1/Electr
ic%20field.htm

http://www.physics.louisville.
edu/cldavis/phys299/notes/ele
c_capacitors.html