PHYS 212 Lab: Gauss Law & Conductors

Name: ____________________________ Sect. _________ Date: ______________

Name: ____________________________ Sect. _________ Lab Instructor:
Name: ____________________________ Sect. _________ _____________________
We will be using two different Java applet to draw field vectors, field lines, and aussian
surfaces for c!arge distributions during t!is investigation of electric fields, auss" Law, and
conductors. In general, field line diagrams are t!ree#dimensional and t!us cannot reall$ be
accuratel$ displa$ed on a two#dimensional screen. %owever, infinite lines of c!arge wit! an a&is
out of t!e page 'screen( !ave two#dimensional field line diagrams. In addition, t!e aussian
surfaces are )ust two#dimensional curves for a two#dimensional field diagram.
In t!ese t!ree activities, $ou will be e&ploring t!e following *uestions:
Is electric flu& t!e same t!ing as electric field+
%ow does electric flu& t!roug! a surface depend on electric c!arges+
%ow does a conductor s!ield its interior from electric fields+
,ou will need to save $our figures to t!e des-top and t!en insert t!em into $our lab report. ,ou
can use .lt / 0rint Screen to cop$ an image of t!e screen to t!e 1lipboard or use t!e Snipping
2ool.
Lab Activity 1: Debunkin !"ectric #ie"d and #"u$ %&yt's(
In t!is computer laborator$ activit$, $ou will be using a program to test some ideas 'let"s call
t!em 34$t!conceptions5( about electric c!arges, electric fields, electric flu&, and auss" Law.
6or eac! statement, $ou need to test out t!e m$t!conception using appropriate c!arge
distribution's( and tools t!e program provides 'e.g., field vectors, field lines, direction vectors,
and aussian surfaces(. 6or eac! 4$t!conception, record $our evidence in support of our in
re)ection of t!e statement.
7efore $ou can run an$ of t!ese programs, $ou will need to c!ange t!e securit$ settings:
8. o to t!e Start 4enu
9. o to t!e 1ontrol 0anel and select Small Icons for t!e view met!od
:. 1lic- Java :9#bit
;. <nder t!e Java Securit$ tab set t!e securit$ level to 4edium and select .ppl$
=. W!en as-ed w!et!er $ou want to run t!e program, sa$ ,es.
>un t!e .pplet at !ttp:??www.falstad.com?vector9de?inde&.!tml 'we need t!e 9D version, not t!e
:D one(. 4a-e sure t!e following options are set:
Setup: c!arged line 'start wit! t!is for now(
1olor: field magnitude
6loor: field lines
Displa$: None 'or 6ield @ectors, but t!at can ma-e t!e screen too bus$A if $ou want to
s!ow 6ield @ectors, $ou ma$ want to set t!e 6loor to 3no lines5(
4ouse B Surface Integral
2!e 3>everse5 button flips t!e sign of all c!arges. '2!e 36ield Strengt!5 and 3Number of
0articles5 sliders won"t do an$t!ing, so $ou can ignore t!em.(
If $ou use t!e mouse to draw a rectangle on t!e screen, it will calculate t!e flu& t!roug! t!at
aussian surface.
%ere are t!e statements for $ou to investigate.
Do $our investigations wit! t!e program confirm t!em+ Cr are t!e statements busted+ 7e
sure to e&plain $our evidence and reasoning based on t!e evidenceD ',ou ma$ need to
compare two different c!arge arrangements to test a particular m$t!conception.(
<se images captured from t!e program w!en appropriate. 0lease scale t!em to a
reasonable siEe so t!at t!e$ are readable but do not waste paper w!en printed.
F&plain w!$ t!e statement is confirmed or busted using t!e p!$sics concepts we !ave
studied so far t!is semester 'particularl$ using auss" Law(.
2!is program does not calculate an$ of t!e flu& due to field lines coming into or out of t!e page,
so $ou can onl$ use t!is program to loo- at auss" Law for c!arge distributions t!at do not !ave
field lines coming into or out of t!e page 'so no distribution comprised of point c!arges(. ,ou
ma$ use an$ of t!e following Setups in $our investigations:
1!arged Line 'one infinite line coming out of t!e screen(
Line c!arge double 'two lines of t!e same c!arge(
Dipole lines 'two lines of opposite c!arge(
Guad lines 'four lines(
1onducting plate
1!arged plate
1!arged plate pair
1!arged plate dipole
Infinite plane
1onducting c$linder
Remember: No Point Charge or Point Charge Double or Dipole since those would
have field lines coming out of/into the page.
8. 7efore $ou start testing 3m$t!conceptions5, draw a aussian surface '$ou can onl$ draw
rectangles in t!is program(. What do the red and/or green arrows represent? (What does the
color coding mean?) What units should be on the Flux numerical values reported (assuming it
uses standard SI units)?
9. !thconception "#$ 2!e flu& t!roug! a aussian surface around one or more 3c!arges5 'in
t!is case reall$ infinite lines of c!arge coming out of t!e page( depends on its distance from t!e
c!arge's(.
:. !thconception "%$ .dding a c!arge )ust outside a aussian surface increases t!e flu& 'if t!e
added c!arge is a negative( or decreases t!e flu& 'if t!e added c!arge is positive(.
;. !thconception "&$ If $ou !ave a point c!arge )ust barel$ inside a large aussian surface,
moving t!e aussian surface so now t!e point c!arge is barel$ outside t!e surface doesn"t
c!ange t!e flu& since t!e field didn"t c!ange on most of t!e surface.
=. !thconception "'$ If t!e flu& is Eero t!roug! a aussian surface, t!e field is Eero
ever$w!ere on t!e surface.
H. !thconception "($ 4oving c!arges around inside a aussian surface doesn"t c!ange t!e flu&
t!roug! t!e aussian surface.
I. !thconception ")$ .dding a c!arge )ust outside a aussian surface doesn"t c!ange t!e
field inside t!e aussian surface.
J. !thconception "*$ 2!e flu& t!roug! a aussian surface between 'but not including( t!e two
c!arges in a dipole is larger t!an t!e flu& t!roug! a aussian surface awa$ from t!e two c!arges
'also not including t!e two c!arges(. . aussian surface including bot! c!arges would !ave an
even larger flu&.
K. Can you s)ot t'e error* 2!ere is a serious error in t!e drawing of t!e field lines for one of
t!ese distributions in t!is program L w!ic! distribution is it and w!at"s wrong wit! t!e drawing+
'It"s eit!er: c!arged plate dipole, infinite plane, or conducting plate(
8M. Dont cross t'e strea+s, In t!e 3*uad lines5 'and 3*uadrupole5( setup, t!ere is a spot w!ere
two field lines seem to cross in t!e center of t!e diagram L w!at is going on t!ere+ '.nd didn"t
we sa$ t!at field lines can"t cross+(
C!C" #N $#%! &N #N'%R(C%)R &% %!#' P)#N%
Lab Activity 2: S'ie"din by Conductors
We saw in lecture t!at a conse*uence of auss" Law and t!e fact t!at conduction electrons can
move in a conductor, t!e electric field inside a conductor is Eero 'at least for static fields(. Let"s
e&plore !ow e&actl$ t!at wor-s using a Java computer simulation 'created b$ t!e 4assac!usetts
Institute of 2ec!nolog$ N4I2O( to e&plore !ow t!e c!arges on a conductor arrange t!emselves.
2!is simulation uses a sp!erical s!ell conductor 'gra$( wit! a non#conducting 'blue( center.
o to:
!ttp:??web.mit.edu?viE?F4?visualiEations?electrostatics?1!arging7$Induction?s!ielding?s!ielding.!tm
and run t!e simulation. It s!ould loo- li-e:
We want t!e 3S!ow total field of free c!arge / induced c!arges setting5.
2!e gra$ area is conducting s!ell. It is !ollow so t!at t!e nav$ blue area in t!e center is not a
conductor. 2!e $ellow ball is a point c!arge 'is it positive or negative+(.
8. W!at do t!e arrows represent+ W!$ is it not correct to sa$ t!at t!e$ represent t!e electric field
vectors + W!at vector do t!e$ represent+
,ou can move t!e c!arge around so t!at it is outside t!e conductor, inside t!e conducting s!ell
itself, or inside t!e nonconducting sp!ere t!at is wit!in t!e conducting s!ell.
2!e 3Flectric 6ield: rass Seeds5 button will draw t!e electric field lines for t!e situation.
F&plore t!e simulation until $ou are comfortable wit! it and -now !ow to c!ange parameters and
interpret t!e pictures.
2!en use t!e simulation to answer t!e following *uestions, being sure to give e&planations using
p!$sics concepts 'especiall$ auss" Law(.
9. .s long as t!e point c!arge is not embedded in t!e conductor 'gra$ area( itself, w!ere are t!e
induced c!arges in t!e conductor never found+
:. W!$ are t!ere never arrows or field lines s!own wit!in t!e conducting s!ell 'gra$ ring(+
;. W!$ in most circumstances are t!ere no arrows or field lines s!own inside t!e inner
nonconducting sp!ere 'blue circle in center(+ <nder w!at circumstances are t!ere arrows?field
lines s!own t!ere and w!$+
=. W!at does t!e field outside t!e conductor loo- li-e w!en t!e c!arge is inside t!e central
nonconducting sp!ere 'blue circle in center(+ %ow does t!e field outside t!e conductor c!ange as
$ou move t!e c!arge around inside t!is central nonconducting region+
H. S-etc! t!e distribution of induced c!arges on t!e conductor w!en t!e point c!arge is inside t!e
nonconducting sp!ere 'blue circle in center(, but not at the center o+ the sphere. W!$ does t!is
distribution ma-e sense in terms of t!e p!$sics we !ave studied so far+
I. S-etc! t!e distribution of induced c!arges on t!e conductor w!en t!e point c!arge is outside
t!e conductor. W!$ does t!is distribution ma-e sense in terms of t!e p!$sics we !ave studied so
far+
J. W!at is going on wit! t!e induced c!arges w!en t!e point c!arge is inside t!e conductor 'gra$
ring( itself+

K. W!at is t!e direction of t!e field ,ust outside t!e surface of t!e conductor 'w!et!er on t!e
inner or outer side of t!e conducting ring(+
8M. W!en t!e point c!arge is at t!e e&act center, t!ere is a clear flaw in t!e simulation. 'It won"t
draw 3grass seeds5 !ere for some reason, but t!at"s not t!e flaw.( W!at is wrong wit! t!e picture
and w!$ is it wrong+ 'W!at s!ould it loo- li-e+(
C!C" #N $#%! &N #N'%R(C%)R &% %!#' P)#N%
If $ou !ave alread$ learned about Flectric 0otential, use t!e 3Flectric 0otential5 button to also
e&plore t!ese *uestions:
88. %ow do t!e e*uipotential lines relate to t!e field vectors and t!e field lines+
89. Wit! t!e c!arge inside t!e nonconducting center disc 'sp!ere(, but not at t!e e&act center,
!ow do t!e e*uipotential lines inside t!e inner region compare to 'differ from( t!e e*uipotential
lines outside t!e conductor+
8:. Describe t!e e*uipotential lines for t!e case w!en t!e point c!arge is outside t!e conductor.