PHY2004W

Experimental Lab Report

FIeld Mapping
23 April 2018

Professor Shabangu
(SHBPRO003)
Partner: Mkuseli Sompeta
1 Introduction
Today we will investigate electric field line by measuring the scalar equipotential at any two point in field.
Electric field exist around all charged objects. This field cannot be seen by naked eye, but we can attempt
”see” field if we create an electric field map called electric field lines.These line runs from the positive to
the negative source electric charge, and are perpendicular to the equipotential lines.The relation is E ~ = ∇V .
Equipotential surfaces are basically spheres centered at the point charge. At any point on an equipotential
surface (or sphere around a single point charge), the potential is the same. That is the reason for the choice
of word “equipotential.” In two dimensions (on paper), equipotential surfaces become equipotential lines (for
example, spheres become circles).
It is important to note that any radial line (field line) is perpendicular to all equipotential surfaces (spheres)
around a point charge. It can be shown both mathematically and conceptually that regardless of the type of
charge distribution (whether single point charge, two point charges, a dipole, or any form of charge distribution),
field lines are always perpendicular to equipotential lines.

1.1 Aim
The aim for this practical is to investigate how eletric field behave around some pieces of matter(electrode
position, electrode potential and shape) and find equipotential lines experimentally, by using a voltmeter and
finding points around a certain charge distribution that are at the same voltage (electric potential). Then
these points are determined and marked, they may be connected to form the equipotential lines. Field lines
can then be drawn perpendicular to the equipotential lines.

1.2 Method
First we setup a grid on the graph paper with a sensible coordinate system and put it under the tray. then we
will use simple and easy available electrolyte(tap water,3-6 mm deep),and use function generator to applying
AC current as DC which will polarize the electrolyte and consequently create distortion of the field. Start
measuring potential with the digital multimeter on myDAQ connected to Laptop (with electric field software),
You find the list of all apparatus use in the Appendix section A. Connected as in the following diagram;

Credit: UCT Physics

Figure 1: Configuration of equipment.

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2 Results and Observation:
We first look at parallel plates capacitor, setup in the eletrolyte as diagram below:

Figure 2: Setup of the parallel plates

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 So we collected all data point for this setting(30 data point), We used python to plot the equipotential and
electric field (sample code in Appendice B). The field lines looks like figure below:

Figure 3: Field lines of capacitor.

This follow the model that eletric field in charged plates is uniform and point in one direction ( towards
Negative charges). The irregularity from (4,6) to (6,9) is due to my hands shaking, I couldn’t get filter out
those points.

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We look at a plate with an obsticle in between:

Figure 4: Setup of the parallel plates with obsticle

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 Figure 5: Field lines of obsticle.

It still appears uniform away from the obstacle but when goes to the obstacle it gets distorted and curvy. The
field is the smallest close to the dieletric material.

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We look at plate and circular conductor:

Figure 6: Setup of the circular conductor and plate

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 Towards the plate the it is straight ”uniform” and as you goes towards the circular conductor it curves
around.The field gets higher close to the circular conductor.As follows:

Figure 7: Field lines of circular.

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We look at plate and Irregular conductor:

Figure 8: Setup of the Irregular conductor and plate

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 The electric field is the highest towards the center of the irregular shape, this is be electric field has an
inverse square distance property. as shown here:

Figure 9: Field lines of Irregular.

3 Discussions and Conclusion:

After drawing and reviewing all the graphs of the electric field lines we found there are a couple of similarities
between them. all behaved the same when we decreased the voltage. It seems plausible toconclude that the
higher the voltage, the more attraction the electric field has toward the negative end,or an insulator. I also
noticed that there was some sort of correlation between the shape of the objects put in the experiments and
the effect they had on the electrical field distribution. I noticed that electric field direction behaved very much
like we would expect water to behave downstream when put an object that in its path. Where there was an
object, the electric field bent around the object to get to its lowest voltage, just like water would pour down
to get to the lowest surface.

Sources of Error: I think using 2D instead of 3D. We (ignored the z-plane in our measurements and
calculation) I think that with another dimension we would get some different perspective on the whole ex-
periment. Inacurrate measurement of some of the points(We can only be so much accurate with our hands).
The uncertain of the voltage supply, that could change the equipotential reading. Some loss of energy due to
attenuation or heatwhich could also marginally alter our results.

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Appendices
A Apparatus
Items used in this experiment:

ˆ water tray

ˆ Laptop (with electric field software)

ˆ Digital Multimeter

ˆ myDAQ

ˆ Voltage Power Supply

ˆ function generator

ˆ sheet of graph paper

ˆ Electrodes(parallel plates,dielectric plastic,circular and irregular conductor)

B Code

Figure 10: sample code on how to plot field lines

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