Electricity & Magnetism: Charge and Electric Fields
Determine the shape of the electric field around charge configurations on a piece of conductive paper.
Students create a visual map of the electric field for various charge distributions, to help them develop their understanding of how charged particles interact.
Lab Summary
Students will use the Voltage/Current Sensor to investigate the shape and direction of electric field lines around different charge configurations.
Students will use a conductive ink pen to create charge configurations (such as two unlike dipoles) on carbon-impregnated conductive paper. They will use a DC power supply to energize the charge configurations.
They will determine the shape and direction of the electric field around each charge configuration using the leads of the Voltage/Current Sensor and the DataStudio software program. They will compare their results to their predictions for the shape of the electric field around a particular charge configuration.
Theory
All electrically charged objects generate an electric field. The shape of this field is determined by the size and shape of that charge as well as any other charged objects within a reasonable distance. This field is easily mapped using a Voltage/Current Sensor.
Downloads
- Download Free Lab (PDF, 568 KB) (567 KB, .pdf)
(student version)
Method
Use a Voltage-Current Sensor to measure the voltage between equidistant points on conductive paper.
Here's What You Need
U.S. Educator prices shown.
Probeware
PASPORT Voltage-Current Sensor (PS-2115) - $99
Allows students to safely measure voltage and current simultaneously without overloading the sensor. For use with PASPORT Interfaces.
Xplorer GLX (PS-2002) - $349
The Xplorer GLX is a data collection, graphing, and analysis tool designed for science students and educators.
Other Products
Field Mapper Kit (PK-9023) - $99
Allows students to map both the potentials and the electric fields around any two-dimensional charged conductors.
Power Supply (18 VDC, 5 A) (SE-9720A) - $319
Has a remote control connector and switch on the rear panel so units can be connected in series or parallel.
Other Materials
- Pencil
- Tape
Lab Manual
This activity is included in Explorations in Physics (PS-2810), complete with Teacher Information pages, student instructions and handouts, and sample data for a total of 35 probeware-based labs. For your convenience, we offer bundles which provide the probeware necessary for the activities in the manual. For more information on these resources and bundles, click here.
