Lab 18
Lab
Electric Fields
Introduction: This experiment was to investigate the concept of the electric field, and to determine the shape of equal potential lines surrounding charged objects.
1. Procedures: Place the sheet of graph paper on a table and center the clear dish over the grid. 2. Prepare the conductors by first making 2 longer jumper cables from 4 short ones. Do this by simply opening the alligator clip jaws from one end of two jumper cables and clamp them together so that the metal parts are touching. Then attach the other end of each jumper cable to a metal nut by clamping the free alligator clip onto it. 3. Place the two metal nut conductors in opposite ends of the clear dish. They should be approximately centered and about 2.5 cm away from the ends of the dish. 4. Position the battery holder with a 1.5V battery outside of and slightly away from the dish so it cannot get wet. Attach the jumper cables from the two conductors to the battery holder, one to the positive terminal and the other to the negative terminal. 5. Fill the dish with sufficient water to just barely cover the conductors. 6. Set your DMM to measure voltage by moving its function switch to V---, and turning its range dial to a voltage equal to or higher than that of the 1.5V battery. 7. Attach the negative black lead from the DMM to the negative terminal of the battery holder. 8. With the DMM’s positive red lead, touch each of the conductors in the dish and record your findings. A. Touching the negative conductor in the dish should result in a zero volt reading. B. Touching the positive conductor should result in a reading that is the same as the battery output C. Touching a distance halfway between the conductors should record a voltage equal to approximately one half the voltage of the battery. If it does not, stir a few grains of
Electric Fields
Introduction: This experiment was to investigate the concept of the electric field, and to determine the shape of equal potential lines surrounding charged objects.
1. Procedures: Place the sheet of graph paper on a table and center the clear dish over the grid. 2. Prepare the conductors by first making 2 longer jumper cables from 4 short ones. Do this by simply opening the alligator clip jaws from one end of two jumper cables and clamp them together so that the metal parts are touching. Then attach the other end of each jumper cable to a metal nut by clamping the free alligator clip onto it. 3. Place the two metal nut conductors in opposite ends of the clear dish. They should be approximately centered and about 2.5 cm away from the ends of the dish. 4. Position the battery holder with a 1.5V battery outside of and slightly away from the dish so it cannot get wet. Attach the jumper cables from the two conductors to the battery holder, one to the positive terminal and the other to the negative terminal. 5. Fill the dish with sufficient water to just barely cover the conductors. 6. Set your DMM to measure voltage by moving its function switch to V---, and turning its range dial to a voltage equal to or higher than that of the 1.5V battery. 7. Attach the negative black lead from the DMM to the negative terminal of the battery holder. 8. With the DMM’s positive red lead, touch each of the conductors in the dish and record your findings. A. Touching the negative conductor in the dish should result in a zero volt reading. B. Touching the positive conductor should result in a reading that is the same as the battery output C. Touching a distance halfway between the conductors should record a voltage equal to approximately one half the voltage of the battery. If it does not, stir a few grains of