Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

So we did one of the most basic experiments in my physics 231 class which deals

ID: 1686214 • Letter: S

Question

So we did one of the most basic experiments in my physics 231 class which deals with electricity and magnetism. The lab had us use parallel plates and point charges and "map" electrical fields. The thing is, I dont know for sure if we did the experiment right. For the parallel plates, ideally, there is a constant voltage magnitude perpendicular to the plates (as in connecting them since the plates are parallel). However, in our experiment, we found that the voltage faded the farther you got away from the positive electrode, not stay constant. Is this what is supposed to happen or did we mess something up? I just need to know the expected outcome of the parallel plates / point charge experiment.
So we did one of the most basic experiments in my physics 231 class which deals with electricity and magnetism. The lab had us use parallel plates and point charges and "map" electrical fields. The thing is, I dont know for sure if we did the experiment right. For the parallel plates, ideally, there is a constant voltage magnitude perpendicular to the plates (as in connecting them since the plates are parallel). However, in our experiment, we found that the voltage faded the farther you got away from the positive electrode, not stay constant. Is this what is supposed to happen or did we mess something up? I just need to know the expected outcome of the parallel plates / point charge experiment.

Explanation / Answer

It sounds like you did it right. As you go from the equipotential lines closer to the point charge to equipotential lines closer to the middle, the voltage measured decreases. You should have found however, that if you tracked the same voltage with your probe, you would draw out the equipotential lines. For example, your loop shaped lines might be 3v, 2v, 1v, 0v(middle) and they repeat again towards the other point (1v, 2v 3v) but are not connected to the other set of lines. Usually your instructor would want you to label the voltage of the lines as well.
Hope this helps!

Hire Me For All Your Tutoring Needs
Integrity-first tutoring: clear explanations, guidance, and feedback.
Drop an Email at
drjack9650@gmail.com
Chat Now And Get Quote