Lab 4

Electric Fields and Magnetic Fields

Objectives:
Map lines of equipotential in various electric fields.
Given a map of equipotential lines, draw electric field lines.
Gain an understanding of electric fields, force, potential difference, and potential energy.
Equipment:
Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus with four conducting field plates, two templates, fieldmapping board, and U-shaped probe
Quadrille or plain paper, 4 sheets, 8 1/2 x 11 in
Galvanometer, 2 to 12 VDC power supply
Switch, DPST (double-pole, single-throw)
Two power leads, red and black, with #14 (large) fork terminals
One long connecting lead, blue, with #10 (small) fork terminals
One connecting lead with one banana plug and one #10 fork terminal
Two connecting leads, red and black, with #10 fork terminals

39

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

Safety:
Observe ordinary laboratory precautions.
Open electrical switch when voltage is not needed.
Maintenance of Equipment:
Avoid scratching the conducting field plates. Return them to their protective wrapper after use. Occasionally buff the tip of the ball probe with a very fine grade of emery paper to ensure good electrical
contact. After many hours of operation, the silvered surface of the field plates can be renewed with high
quality conductive silver paint such as that used for electron microscopy.

4.1

Description of the Apparatus

The Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus is a highly accurate apparatus that uses the null method to find
equipotentials. The equipotential lines of an electric field define its size and shape. Once the equipotential lines are
known, the perpendicular lines of force can be drawn. The apparatus consists of a field-mapping board, four different conducting field plates, a U-shaped probe, and templates for tracing the pattern of the conducting plate onto
paper. A potential divider with eight 100-ohm resistors establishes the operating potential and the galvanometer
is used to find the null readings. See Fig.4.1 and Fig.4.2.

Figure 4.1: The Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus, top view of the field-mapping board.

4.1. DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS

41

Figure 4.2: The Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus, bottom view of the field-mapping board.

Figure 4.3: The Overbeck Electric Field Plates. From left to right on the top row: point and plate charge, point charge and
Faraday pail, template. Left to right on bottom row: two point charges, two plate charges, template.

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

4.2

Procedure

Figure 4.4: Wiring diagram for the Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus.

1. Wire the circuit as shown in Fig.4.4. Note the use of a double-pole-single-throw DPST switch between the
red and black power leads (the ones with large #14 fork terminals that connect to the wall outlet) and the
rest of the circuit. The red and black connecting leads with the small #10 fork terminals go from the switch
to the field-mapping board. One connecting wire has a banana plug at one end and a #10 fork terminal
at the other. Attach the #10 fork terminal to either terminal of the galvanometer. Leave the banana plug
unconnected for now. Connect the long blue wire between the other terminal of the galvanometer and the
U-shaped probe.
2. Turn the field-mapping board wrong side up and place the conducting field plate on the bottom with the
silver-painted electrodes facing out. Attach with two thumb screws. See Fig.4.5.
3. Turn the field-mapping board right side up and attach a piece of quadrille or plain paper by pressing down
on the board and fitting the edges of the paper under the rubber bumpers. See Fig.4.6.
4. Select the template which has holes that correspond to the conducting field plate you just attached, and fit
the small holes in it over the two small metal guides. Verify that the holes in the template correspond to the
silvered areas of the conducting field plate and trace the corresponding holes in the template. Remove the
template.
5. Slide the field-mapping board (with attached conducting plate) into the U-shaped probe so that the metal
ball of the probe is to the bottom side of the board. Notice the knob on the top of the probe near the small
hole and the screw below the probe which acts as support leg. To make tracings, guide the probe with one
finger of one hand resting lightly on the knob, and a finger of the other hand lightly contacting the nut on
the support leg. The leg slides on the table top and in so doing stabilizes the probe. Do not apply pressure to
the probe, and avoid squeezing its jaws. Such actions will cause unnecessary wear on the plate. Although
some wear is inevitable, the plate will last longer if proper care is taken.
6. Insert the banana plug into the jack labeled E4 on the field-mapping board. Close the switch. Begin with
the probe in the center of the paper. Move the probe until the galvanometer reads zero, that is, to a place on
the paper where the potential between the two silver electrodes on the plate is equal. Mark this spot with a

4.2. PROCEDURE

43

Figure 4.5: The Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus with conducting plate attached to bottom of field-mapping board.

Figure 4.6: The Overbeck Electric Field Mapping Apparatus is shown after being connected to the power source and galvanometer, with paper and probe in place.

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

pencil or pen through the small hole in the probe. (If your pencil or pen will not fit into the small hole, it is
acceptable to make the mark at the end of the probe.)
7. Move the probe about 1 cm away in various directions until you find another place for which the galvanometer again indicates a zero potential. Mark this point. Repeat the process until you have about 6 points. Draw
a line connecting the points. This is a line of equipotential. The electric potential is the same everywhere
on this line. Label it E4.
8. Now move the banana plug to the jack labeled E3. The region we are interested in mapping lies between
the two electrodes. Find about 6 points for this new voltage that give a zero galvanometer reading. Connect
these equipotential points with a line and label it E3.
9. Repeat the process of finding equipotential lines for E2, E5, and E6. Omit E1 and E7, unless you are
working with the conducting plate that has a Faraday pail. When you are exploring the region inside the
Faraday pail, try either E1 or E7, whichever jack is closer to the Faraday pail. If this does not produce a
zero reading on the galvanometer, try E0 or E8, by touching the banana probe to the point where electrical
connection is made to the field-mapping board. Before removing the paper, record the location of the
positive and negative terminals of the board and the magnitude of the voltage source.

10. Exchange your conducting field plate for a different one and repeat the above procedure. Make four maps
in all, one for two point sources, a point and a plate, two parallel plates, and a Faraday pail and a point.
11. When you are done, disconnect all wires and return the conducting plates to their protective wrappers.

4.3

Data and Calculations

Take each drawing of equipotential lines and sketch electric field lines (also called lines of force). The electric
field lines go from a positive charge to a negative charge and are perpendicular to any equipotential line they cross.
Label the magnitude in volts for each line of equipotential. That is, if your potential source is 12 V, E4 is at 6V
potential, E2 at 9 V, E6 at 3 V, etc. As another example, if your potential source is 6 V, E4 is at 3 V, E2 at 4.5 V,
E6 at 1.5 V, etc.

4.4

Analysis

The simplest pattern of the four maps you have prepared should be the map of the electric field between two
parallel plates. Lets work with this one for our analysis. Assume a 12 VDC source is used as we do the following
analysis. Imagine a tiny positive test charge of 1C (microcoulomb). Place it at Point A, an arbitrary location on
the 6.0 V equipotential line, in the electric field shown in Fig.4.7. Remember, the tiny positive test charge has a
charge
q = 1C

(4.1)

1. If you let go of the test charge, in which direction will the electric force cause it to move? Is this toward
higher or lower potential?
2. What is the electric potential V of the test charge at Point A (before it moves)?
3. As the test charge moves past the next equipotential line, 1.5 Vaway, what is its new potential (at Point B)?
4. What is the potential difference

V between Points A and B?

4.4. ANALYSIS

45

Figure 4.7: Lines of equipotential between two parallel charged plates.

5. What is the electric potential energy U of the test charge at Point A? U = qV .

6. What is the electric potential energy of the test charge at Point B?
7. Has the electric potential energy of the test charge increased or decreased in going from Point A to Point
B?
8. What has happened to the kinetic energy KE of the particle in going from rest at Point A to whizzing past
Point B?
9. Lets assume we put a finger on the test charge and stop and hold it at Point B. If you now let go of the test
charge, is the force it experiences (greater than, less than, or the same) as it was at Point A? Why?
10. What can you say about the strength of the electric field (E = F/q) at Point B compared to Point A?
(greater than, less than, or the same)
11. Sketch a few electric field lines in Fig. 4.7.
12. In the map of equipotential lines between two parallel plates, we see a simple relationship between the
distance between plates and the change in potential. The entire distance from the positive plate to the
negative plate is about 8 cm. The potential changes uniformly from 12 V to 0 V over that distance. This
means that there is a change in potential of 12 V for every 8 cm or 1.5 V/cm. The test charge at A or at B
or at any other point in this uniform field is said to be experiencing an electric field strength of 1.5 V/cm.
Write an equation relating electric field strength to potential difference and distance, for the case of the
electric field produced by two parallel charged plates.
13. Would this same equation apply to the other fields you mapped? Why or why not?
14. We have been using the units V/cmfor electric field strength. Dividing by 100 would give the SI unit V/m.
Show that the V/mis equivalent to another SI unit for electric field strength, the N/C.

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

Objectives:
To study magnetic fields as an example of vector fields.
To diagram the lines of force in various types of magnetic fields.

Equipment:

Magnetic field mapping apparatus: magnet mounting board and glass plate
Two bar magnets
Two horseshoe magnets
Flexible refrigerator magnet
Small compass
Iron filings
Paper, unruled
Safety:
Observe ordinary laboratory precautions.
Be careful when handling the glass plate.

4.5
4.5.1

Theory
Vector Fields

We know from experience that forces act through empty space. No where is this more apparent than when feeling
the force on a magnet as it is brought near another one. Depending on where you are in relation to the other
magnet, you may feel it attract or repel with varying strength.
Since we can measure magnetic forces at each point in space by an appropriate probe, we are led naturally to
the concept of a vector field. By this, we mean that a vector (a quantity with magnitude and direction) may be
associated with every point in space. A scalar field, in which only a magnitude is assigned to each point, is not
adequate to describe a magnetic field; the situation is only completely specified by using vectors.
A convenient way to describe a vector field is with field lines. In the case of a force field, these are also called
lines of force. The force vectors point along these lines (tangent to them, if they are curves), and an arrow tip
placed on each line can show the direction of the force. The magnitude of the force in these diagrams with field
lines is shown by how crowded the field lines are at a point. The more crowded they are, the more intense the
field, meaning the stronger the force. As the lines get farther apart, the forces strength diminishes.

4.5.2

Measuring Magnetic Fields

The magnetic force is an excellent example of a vector field, and has the added properties of being easy to measure
and relatively safe with which to work.

4.6. PROCEDURE

47

Permanent magnets, which shall be our magnetic sources in this lab, are most easily described in terms of
poles. These are the regions of the magnet in which the field is highly concentrated (i.e., strongest). Magnets have
two poles: appropriately called the south pole (it is attracted to earths south geographic pole) and the north pole
(it is attracted to earths north geographic pole). Simple experiments show that like poles repel, while unlike poles
attract.
A magnetic force is exerted by a permanent magnet on any other magnet and on objects made of iron, nickel,
cobalt, and certain alloys. To more precisely define the direction of this force, we say that it is the direction in
which a north pole is pushed or pulled (much the same way we defined the direction of the electric field to be the
direction in which a positive test charge is accelerated). We are not concerned with defining the magnitude of this
force in any particular system of units in this lab; instead, we are only interested in the relative way a magnitude
varies from point to point.
To measure this field, we require something that will react to the magnetic fields. As with any other measurement, we must take care to ensure that our act of measurement does not significantly disturb the thing we are
trying to measure; thus, we want measurement probes that will negligibly affect the magnetic field. This can be
accomplished with very small magnets, very weak in comparison to what we measure. Our two kinds of probes in
this experiment, a small compass and tiny iron filings, both satisfy our requirements; they are small enough to not
significantly influence the magnetic field around them, and they will react to an external magnetic field by lining
up with the field lines, allowing us to see the lines of force.

4.6

Procedure

Figure 4.8: Magnetic field mapping apparatus. The magnets are inserted under the glass plate onto the magnet mounting
board. Paper and iron filings go above the plate. The iron filings must not be allowed to touch the magnets since it would be
very difficult to remove them from the magnet.

4.6.1

Bar magnet

1. Trace the outline of a bar magnet on a sheet of unruled paper.

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

2. Place the paper on top of the glass on the magnet mounting board.
3. Insert the bar magnet underneath the glass so that it aligns with the traced image.
4. Lightly sprinkle iron filings onto the paper.
5. Spread out the iron filings or gently tap the glass until the iron filings become induced magnets and line up
with the field as would a compass needle.
6. Use a pencil to sketch the magnetic field lines that have been made visible by the pattern of the iron filings,
paying particular attention to the region around the poles.

4.6.2

Horseshoe magnet

1. Trace the outline of a horseshoe magnet on a sheet of unruled paper.

2. Place the paper on top of the glass on the magnet mounting board.
3. Insert the horseshoe magnet underneath the glass so that it aligns with the traced image.
4. Lightly sprinkle iron filings onto the paper.
5. Spread out the iron filings or gently tap the glass until the iron filings become induced magnets and line up
with the field as would a compass needle.
6. Use a pencil to sketch the magnetic field lines that have been made visible by the pattern of the iron filings,
paying particular attention to the region around the poles.

4.6.3

Two horseshoe magnets, like poles facing each other

1. On a fresh sheet of paper, trace the outline of two horseshoe magnets, placed so that their like poles are
facing each other, but have a gap of about 2 or 3 cm.
2. Carefully remove the previous paper with iron filings and set it aside, away from any magnets.
3. Place the fresh paper on top of the glass.
4. Insert the magnets underneath the glass so that they align with the traced image.
5. Sprinkle the iron filings from the previous paper onto the fresh paper.
6. Spread out the iron filings or gently tap the glass until the iron filings become induced magnets and line up
with the field as would a compass needle.
7. Use a pencil to sketch the magnetic field lines that have been made visible by the pattern of the iron filings,
paying particular attention to the region around the poles.

4.6.4

Additional magnetic fields

Repeat the above steps and map the following magnetic fields:
1. Two horseshoe magnets, opposite poles facing each other.
2. One horseshoe magnet with its keeper attached to the poles.
3. Two bar magnets, like poles facing each other.
4. Two bar magnets, opposite poles facing each other.

4.6. PROCEDURE

4.6.5

49

Magnetic field of a refrigerator magnet

1. Trace a flexible refrigerator magnet on a fresh sheet of paper.

2. Carefully remove the previous paper with iron filings.
3. Remove the previous magnets from the magnet mounting board.
4. Place the refrigerator magnet on top of the glass, refrigerator side facing you. Place the fresh paper on top
of the refrigerator magnet.
5. Sprinkle iron filings onto the paper.
6. Tap the glass plate to facilitate the filings lining up with the magnetic field.
7. Trace the field lines.
8. Return the iron filings to their container.

4.6.6

Mapping a field using a small compass

1. Trace the bar magnet on a fresh sheet of paper.

2. Place the paper on top of the glass on the magnet mounting board.
3. Insert one bar magnet underneath the glass so that it aligns with the traced image.
4. Place a small compass in the region around the magnet (not on top of it) close to one pole and note the
orientation of its needle. Make a pencil dot on the paper near each end of the needle.
5. Slide the compass in the direction that its needle points and again dot both ends of its needle. Continue
sliding the compass in the direction indicated by its needle and dotting the ends of the needle, until you get
close to another pole.
6. Sketch a curve through the dots. These are magnetic field lines or lines of force. Their direction is given
by the direction of the north end of the compass needle. Mark directions on some of the lines with an
arrowhead.
7. Select several new spots near the first pole and repeat this process until you have a good indication of the
field.

4.6.7

Lines of equipotential

Take one of the mappings of the magnetic field of the single bar magnet. Using a different colored pencil or
dashed lines, sketch lines that are perpendicular to the magnetic field lines. These are lines of equipotential. The
field lines represent lines of force and have direction. Equipotential lines represent paths of equipotential or zero
work and have no associated direction.

4.6.8

Care of the magnets

When you are done, replace the keeper on the horseshoe magnet. Place the bar magnets back in their box with the
poles in opposite directions (north alongside south), and with the keepers in place on both ends of them. Place the
small compass in the center of the magnet mounting board. Separate the box of bar magnets from the horseshoe
magnet on the table DO NOT stack them on one another.

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LAB 4. ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

4.7

Questions

1. If you have two unmarked bar magnets and no other equipment, can you determine which pole of one is N
and which is S?
2. If you have an unmarked bar magnet and an identical unmagnetized bar of iron, how can you determine
which is the magnet?
3. Make a general statement about the region of the greatest intensity of the magnetic force, true for all cases.
4. How does the field map made using the small compass compare to the corresponding one made by using
the iron filings? Should they be the same?
5. How does the presence of the keeper alter the magnetic field of the horseshoe magnet?
6. It would be a bad idea to put your mechanical watch close to a strong magnet. Why?