Phys 2212L

LAB 1

Electric & Potential Fields

Purpose
An electric field surrounds any assemblage of charged objects. To determine the strength
and direction of these fields, it is most convenient to first map the electric potential of the
field, which can be measured with a voltmeter. From the potential field, the electric field
can easily be determined.
In this laboratory, we will map the electric and potential fields resulting from three
different configurations of charged electrodes rectangular, concentric, and circular.

Principles
The electric field at a point in space shows the force that a unit charge would feel if it
were placed at that point:

F
E
q

E is a vector quantity: it has both magnitude and direction and has units of newtons per
coulomb. The field is set up by electric charges somewhere in the surrounding space.
For continuous charge distributions, it is much easier to analyze electric forces using the
field concept than using Coulombs Law for the forces between point charges.
If we measure the field (magnitude and direction) at enough points around the charge
distribution, we could make a map of the electric field lines. These lines show the
direction of the electric force at each point.
However, instead of measuring the electric field directly, we will measure and map the
electric potential around the charge distribution. The electric fields can be determined
from this.
Electric Potential
To place a positive test charge in an electric field we must do work against the field, since
the field tries to push the charge away. Since the electric force is conservative, the work
we do in placing the charge in the field is stored as potential energy.
Electric potential is defined as the work done per unit charge to move the charge into an
electric field. Like potential energy, electric potential is measured relative to some
reference position, so that we define it as

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Electric & Potential Fields

(1)

W
q

where V is the change in electric potential in going from the reference point to the point
in question, W is the work done (or change in potential energy) and q is the charge. The
unit of electric potential is the volt, which is equivalent to a joule per coulomb. We
usually use the Earth itself as our reference point, and take the electric potential of the
Earth to be zero.
Equipotential Lines
Thus a point in an electric field or in an electric circuit can be characterized by the
electric potential, or simply the potential, there. A quantity of charge placed at that point
has potential energy equal to the voltage there times the amount of charge.
We can measure electric potential directly using a voltmeter. We can then map the
potential field by connecting points that are at the same electric potential. Lines between
such points are called equipotential lines. Moving a charge along an equipotential line
requires no work, since the energy of the charge does not change.
To find the direction of the electric field, we make use of the fact that the equipotential
lines must always be perpendicular to the electric field lines. This is because the electric
field lines show the direction of maximum decrease in the potential.

= E-field lines
= Equipotential
lines

Determining the magnitude of the Electric Field

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Electric & Potential Fields

To determine the electric field from a series of voltage measurements, we note that the
potential difference between two points is the integral of the electric field taken along the
path between the two points:


F ds
qE ds

W
V

E ds
q
q
q

where ds is an infinitesimal element of the path. The minus sign arises because the
external agency must exert a force that is equal and opposite to the force exerted by the
field, E.
Conversely, the above expression tells us that E is the negative (vector) derivative of the
potential it gives the rate and direction of maximum decrease in V.
In situations of symmetry, the vector notation simplifies. For instance, suppose E is
constant in magnitude and direction, as between 2 oppositely charged electrodes:

+
E

Then the change in potential in moving a distance x away from the positive plate is
V

W
E ds Ex
q

Conversely, the magnitude of the electric field can be determined from:

(2)

dV
V

dx
x

The minus sign signifies that E points in the direction that V decreases. Note also that the
electric field can be expressed as volts per meter.
Now consider a radial electric field, as from a disk of charge of radius a:

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Electric & Potential Fields

Here, the E-field is the same in all radial directions. Its magnitude must decrease
inversely with the radius r from the center of the disk, since the field lines become
sparser in proportion to r. The magnitude of the field can then be expressed as
E

(3)

Vm
r

where Vm is a constant. The direction of the field is radially outward. The change in
potential in going from radius a to some arbitrary radius r is then
(4)

V
r
V E ds m dr Vm ln( )
r
a

Conversely, if we know the potential has this form, we can get E by taking the derivative
of (4):
(5)

dV Vm

dr
r

In more general cases, where the field is not symmetric, or when the symmetry involves
more than one coordinate, the derivative must be taken with respect to each spatial
coordinate. However, over small distances, one can treat the field as approximately linear
and can approximate:
(6)

E ( x)

V
x

where x is the relevant coordinate.

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Electric & Potential Fields

Electrodes Sheets
Rectangular
1 cm
9 cm
12
cm

Circular
1 cm radius

10 cm center to center

Concentric
8 cm radius
1 cm radius

a = radius of inner electrode = 1 cm

b = inner radius of outer electrode = 8 cm

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Procedures
We will measure the potential and electric fields around the three sets of electrodes
illustrated. The electrodes are drawn on sheets of conductive paper with conductive ink.
The procedure will be as follows:

Measure the potential at representative points on the electrode sheets. (We

often speak loosely of measuring the voltage rather than the potential.). Plot
the values on graph paper.
Draw the equipotential lines. That is, draw the best smooth curve through
points at the same potential. The result will be something like a topographic
map for the electric field.
Draw the electric field lines by starting at the positive (high potential)
electrode and tracing a path to the negative electrode in such a way that the
electric field lines always cross the potential field lines at right angles.

Equipment

Low Voltage Power Supply

(LVPS)
Digital Multimeter (DMM)
Conductive paper electrode
sets: rectangular, circular and
concentric

Metal pushpins (2)

Corkboard
Banana wires
Alligator clips
Plastic pushpins
Graph paper

Procedures
1. Set-up

Make electrode sheets.

If electrode sheets are not already made up, you can make them by drawing the
electrodes on conductive paper using a conductive ink pen. Simply outline the
electrodes in the proper dimensions and fill in the outlines with the conductive
ink. Take care to make the facing edges of the two electrodes as smooth as
possible use rulers or circle templates. The exterior edges need not be smooth.

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Set up a diagram on graph paper.

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Procedures
Draw a horizontal and vertical axis through the center of a sheet of centimeter
graph paper. Draw the outlines of the electrodes on the graph paper at a 1:1 scale.
Place the origin of the diagram in the center of the electrode arrangement.

Connect the electrodes to the power source.

1. Tack or pin the electrode sheet to a corkboard or other backing with plastic
pushpins. Use the four corners of the conductive paper.
2. Insert a metallic pushpin or other conductor into the center of the positive and
negative electrodes. For the outer circle in the concentric set, the pin can go
anywhere within the outer circle.
3. With the power supply off, connect one electrode to the ground terminal of the
DC output on the power supply with an alligator clip and banana wire or other
connector. Connect the other electrode to the positive terminal on the power
supply.
4. Set the current knob on the power supply to one half turn and set its voltage
knob to the lowest setting (counterclockwise). Have your instructor inspect your
set-up before you turn on the power supply.
Review the section on electrical measurements in the introduction
before proceeding. Make sure you know the proper settings for the
DMM and how to use it.
5. Turn on the power supply and set the voltage output to 15 VDC. Use the
DMM connected across the power supplys terminal to set the source voltage, not
the meter on the power supply.
6. Take voltage readings as directed below. Connect the COM terminal on the
DMM to ground (the negative terminal) on the power supply. Touch the DMM
voltage probe to a point on the conductive sheet to measure the voltage there. It
is not necessary to puncture the sheet. Take the reading to the nearest 0.1 volt
and mark the corresponding point on your graph paper diagram. Label the point
with the voltage reading.

2. Rectangular electrodes
1. Starting at the negative electrode (this should be at 0.0 volts) find the equipotential
lines at every 3 volts. That is, find the 3.0 V, 6.0 V, 9.0 V, and 12.0 V equipotential
lines. The edge of the positive electrode should be at 15.0 V.

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Procedures
To find a line, slowly drag the probe away from the negative electrode until the DMM
displays the voltage you seek. Keep the probe vertical, and allow the DMM enough
time to settle down before you take the reading. When you find the exact voltage,
read the position of the tip of the probe to the nearest millimeter in both the horizontal
and vertical directions. Mark and label the point on your graph paper diagram.
Repeat this process for the same potential for about 9 evenly spaced points, including
the region beyond the ends of the electrodes. You should be able to trace the
equipotential from one edge of the paper to the other.
Analysis
1. Draw the best smooth curves through the points at the same potential. These are
the equipotential lines.
2. Draw the electric field lines. Starting at the positive electrode on your diagram,
draw a line to the negative electrode in such a way that the line always crosses an
equipotential line at right angles. Draw 6-9 field lines through the region between
the electrodes and the regions above and below their ends. Use arrows on the
lines to show the direction of the electric field.
3. Determine the electric field strength in the central region between the electrodes
by calculating
E=-

V
x

for each adjacent pair of equipotential lines. Let x be the distance from the
positive electrode. Find the average of the values this is the average value of E
in this central region.
4. Calculate the deviation for each value and find the average deviation.
5. Calculate the standard deviation and report the value of the field in the form:
E E average

3. Concentric electrodes
Connect the inner ring electrode to the positive terminal on the power supply and the
outer ring to ground.
1. Find the 3.0 V, 6.0 V, 9.0 V and 12.0 V equipotential lines and plot them on a graph
paper diagram. Find 8-10 points for each line in the region between the electrodes.

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Procedures
2. The field should be zero in the region outside the larger circle. Test this by finding the
potential at 4 symmetric points outside the outer electrode.
Analysis
1. Draw the best smooth curve through the points at the same potential in the interior
region.
2. Draw 8 electric field lines in the interior region.
3. Determine the average radius for each equipotential line and tabulate the values of the
potential with the average radii. Measure the radius from the center of the electrode
sheet, so that the outer radius of the positive electrode is at r = 1 cm and the inner
radius of the ground electrode is at r = 8 cm.
4. Plot the natural log of r/a versus V on semi-log graph paper. (Refer to equation 4
above. In our case, a = 1 cm.) See the section on semi-log plots in the appendix.
5. Determine the slope and the y-intercept and write down the equation of the line.
6. Solve the equation for V(r). (That is, rearrange the equation so that V is on the left
and all other terms on the right.) Evaluate the numerical terms. You now have an
empirical equation for V as a function of r.
7. Equation (4) above can be written
r
V ( r ) V aVm ln( )
a

(4)

Comparing your equation with this, determine the value of Vm. Also, find Vm directly
from this expression using Vb = 0 and compare with your empirical result.
8. Find the electric field strength as a function of r. Since the fields are radially
symmetric, E can be calculated from
E

dV
dr

Take the derivative of your empirical equation and write down an empirical
equation for E. Evaluate your expression at the radii of the equipotentials and
record the results.

3. Circular electrodes
Find the 3.0 V, 6.0 V, 9.0 V and 12.0 V equipotential lines and plot them on the
diagram. Your plot should fill the diagram take readings both between and on
the far side of the electrodes. Find enough points (10-15) for each potential to
clearly map the field.

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Procedures
Analysis
1. Draw the best smooth curve through the points at the same potential.
2. Draw 8 electric field lines, starting at 8 symmetric points on the positive
electrode.
3. Along the central axis from the negative electrode to the positive, the field
should follow a straight line, although it is not constant in magnitude. We can
find an approximate value for the field at points along this central axis by using
E

V
for closely spaced points:
x

a. First, determine the distance of each equipotential line from the surface of
the positive electrode and record this in the data table.
b. Calculate the midpoints for each pair of potentials.
c. Calculate V/x for each pair of potential lines by dividing the difference
in potential by the difference in position from the previous line. Record
this as the value of E at the midpoint.

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Data

Rectangular Electrodes

Line

Potential

(volts)
1

0.0

3.0

6.0

9.0

12.0

15.0

(m)
0.0

Average:

Central Electric Field:

V
x

(volts/m)

Dev.

Electric & Potential Fields

LAB 1

Data

Concentric Electrodes

Potential
(V)

Average
Radius
(m)

E = Vm/r
(volts/m)

.01
.02
.03
.04
.05
.06
.07
.08

Value of Vm: __________

(empirical)

Value of Vm: __________

(Theory)

Electric & Potential Fields

LAB 1

Data

Circular Electrodes
Line

Potential

(volts)

Distance
from
positive
electrode
(m)

0.0

0.0

3.0

6.0

9.0

12.0

15.0

Electric Field

Midpoint radii
(m)

V
x

(volts/m)

Electric & Potential Fields

LAB 1

Data