Wednesday, March 22, 2023

UNIVERSIDAD DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS EXACTAS
ELECTROMAGNETISM - LAB

Equipotencial lines
A.De avila1 , J.E.Herrera 1 , J.S.Hernandez1 , and C.Jimenez1
1
universidad de cartagena, Programa de Quimca, Cartagena, Colombia

Abstract
In this article the different electric charge distributions are shown to demonstrate experimentally the behavior of
the electric potential and to represent it graphically. For the experiment a table was used in which there was a
Cartesian plane on graph paper, on this a glass covered with two positively and negatively charged metal plates
(electrodes) submerged in water, in this way the charge was taken at different distances from the charged plate and
using the graph paper for it.

Keywords:

Introduction 470 Ω, 1 kΩ, 2.2 kΩ, 3.3 kΩ, 4.7 kΩ, 10 kΩ)

The following report discusses field lines, whose most • Multimeter

important use is to visualize electric fields. Similarly,
• Acrylic plate
the potential at various points in an electric field can
be represented graphically by equipotential surfaces. • Copper wire
Equipotential surfaces are geometric shapes that are
formed from a charged particle, and are made up of field • Electrodes
points at which the field potential does not vary.
• Alligator clips

One of the characteristics of equipotential lines is that

they are perpendicular to the electric field lines. These
geometrical figures vary according to the shape of the
particle, for example, in the case of a sphere the equipo-
tential lines will be spheres as well, that as they move
away from their center of charge their field potential will
decrease uniformly within the equipotential line until it
becomes zero or meets another equipotential surface of
another body.
Expmerimental details
Materials
• Power supply
• Connection cables
• Resistors of different values (100 Ω, 220 Ω, 330 Ω,
Procedure
1. Assemble the electrical circuit by connecting the
power supply and the resistors in series. Make sure
to connect the connection cables correctly.
2. Connect the electrodes to the acrylic plate, leaving
enough space between them.
3. Connect a connection cable to one of the electrodes
and the other end to one of the crocodile clips.
4. Connect the alligator clip to the lowest value resis-
tor (100 Ω) of the electrical circuit.
5. Connect the other end of the resistor to the power
supply.
6. Connect one connection cable to the other elec-
trode and the other end to the second alligator clip.

1
 7. Connect the alligator clip to the highest value re- allow visualizing the distribution of the electric field gen-
sistor (10 kΩ) of the electrical circuit. erated by the circuit. In addition, the current flowing in
the circuit will have been measured for each resistor used,
8. Turn on the power supply and set the voltage to a
which will allow us to calculate the electric potential at
suitable value (for example, 5V).
each point of the circuit and to draw the corresponding
9. Measure the current flowing in the electrical circuit equipotential lines.
using the multimeter.
10. Using the copper wire, draw the equipotential lines Discussion
on the acrylic plate connecting the points where the
In the laboratory discussion, the results obtained can
current is constant. It is important to make sure
be analyzed and compared with existing theories and
that the electrodes are not in contact with the plate
models for electric fields. Possible experimental errors
during this process to avoid short circuits.
and sources of uncertainty in the measurements can also
11. Repeat steps 4 to 10 for each resistor used in the be discussed. In addition, recommendations can be pro-
experiment. posed to improve the accuracy of the experiment and to
extend it to other more complex electric fields.
Results
At the end of the experiment, the equipotential lines
drawn on the acrylic plate will be obtained, which will Analysis and results

Figure 1: Diagram of equipotential lines and field lines

2
 P(x(mm),y(mm))
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3 x4 y4 x5 y5 x6 y6 x7 y7 x8 y8 x9 y9 x10 y10
Voltaje= (V)
1.96V -14 -10 -14 -9 -14 -8 -14 -7 -14 -6 -14 6 -14 7 -14 8 -14 9 -14 10
4.16V -7 -7 -7 -6 -7 -5 -7 -4 -7 -3 -7 3 -7 4 -7 5 -7 6 -7 7
4.70V -5 -8 -5 -7 -5 -6 -5 -5 -5 -4 -5 4 -5 5 -5 6 -5 7 -5 8
6.06Vv 0 -8 0 -7 0 -6 0 -5 0 -4 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8
7.14V 4 -7 4 -6 4 -5 4 -4 4 -3 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7
8.6V 8 -6 8 -5 8 -4 8 -3 8 -2 8 2 8 3 8 4 8 5 8 6
8.96V 11 -10 11 .9 11 -8 11 -7 11 -6 11 6 11 7 11 8 11 9 11 10
9.44V 13 -7 13 -6 13 -5 13 -4 13 -3 13 3 13 4 13 5 13 6 13 7

Table 1: values obtained experimentally in the laboratories

Questions R//. When moving along the same equipotential line the
delta of V will be equal to 0. When moving from one line
2.In this experiment were equipotential lines or surfaces to another, depending on the direction of the jump there
detected; why? What significance do these lines in elec- will be a change in V
trostatic fields have for you?

Conclucion
In this experiment it was possible to measure equipo-
tential lines in a 2-electrode charge distribution, since The fields he electrical that generate two electrodes that
equipotential lines are imaginary lines that connect find parallels are constants. The Huies of field that gen-
points in a space where the electric potential is constant erate a burden are but pendicular to their lines of field.
and are perpendicular to the electric field lines at each HE evidence in the graphics that all the points that cor-
point. It can be said that equipotential lines can help to respond to potentials equal HE find to distance equal of
determine the distribution of electric charges on a con- the burden in question. To extent that us away’s go of
ducting object and to understand how the electric field is the burden we notice that he potential registered by he
distributed in a region of space or to analyze the behavior voltineter Decia to half that increased the burden, by
of charged particles in an electric field. it HE I gotgeither to the conclusionof that this was in-
versely proportion- ción to the distance to the that HE
3. Can we experimentally determine the equipotential found of the burden
lines of parallel flat plates in empty space? Focus your
answer on explaining the need for a conductive medium
on which the electrodes are located. Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the assistants and teachers of the
R//. To find the equipotential lines it is required two physics laboratory of the University of Cartagena, cam-
electrodes with opposite charges that allow the attraction pus piedra bolivar, for the technical assistance during the
of the charges, so to increase the electric field is useful to experiments and class instruction.
have a conductive medium capable of allowing greater at-
traction, allowing to determine the direction that would
carry the charge by the attraction of the poles, but in References
the case of vacuum this would not be possible since this
is an insulator not containing charged particles. Finatto, H., Voigt, G. H. M., Carvalho, B. C., Zegarra,
L. B. R., Armas, L. E. G. (2018). Mapping of equipoten-
4. What happens if you move an electric charge along tial surfaces using the free Quantum Geographic Infor-
an equipotential line? What if you move it from one mation System software. Revista Brasileira de Ensino de
equipotential line to another? Fı́sica, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9126-rbef-
2019-0051