GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Is it possible for equipotential lines to intersect each other? Justify your answer.

Yes, it is possible for equipotential lines to intersect each other if and only if the two
charges have the same charge (positive-positive or negative-negative), same value of the
potential as each other, and they are emerging from or converging to the same singularity.

2. From the electric field pattern you obtained, what is the relationship between the spacing
of the field lines and the electric field magnitude?
It is not quite seen in the pattern drawn but more likely, the closer the field lines are to
each other, the stronger the electric field magnitude will be. By the equation and graph it
is said that the electric force is also inversely proportional to the square of the distance of
charges with each other.
3. If an electron is at the midpoint of the line connecting two equal but opposing charges in
a direction perpendicular to this line, does the charge experience zero electric force due to
the two charges? If not is there a point along the line connecting the charges where the
electron will experience a zero electric force? Where is this point located?

The charge does not experience zero electric force because for the point midway between
the forces acting on the electron are in same line but also in the same direction so they
will add. The force will be zero only at infinity because between the charge forces will
add but beyond forces will oppose but they would never be equal in magnitude.

4. Sketch the electric fields between two positive charges of equal magnitude.

ANALYSIS
Voltage is the electric potential difference between two points, or the difference in
electric potential energy of a unit test charge transported between two points. There is no
potential difference since the points are on a line of equipotential. Electric field is the measure of
particles ability to attract or repel other charged particles. Electric force of attraction or
repulsion between two particles is the consequence of electric field of each particle. Meaning,
whether a particle is near other particles or not, its electric field is still present.
On the first part of the experiment, we searched for the points on the conductive paper
that have equal potential. We have observed that when we connected the points with the same
potential, the result is a parabola curve. The distances of the equipotential lines are proportional
to its distance to the point source. The closer the equipotential lines are to the source, the closer
they are to each other. On the second part of the experiment, we surround the particles by using
a guard ring. It was observed that the equipotential lines that are formed are circles. Therefore,
equipotential lines would tend to have a circular shape when the opposite charge encloses the
point source.
The data gathered in part A shows that the farther the coordinate is from the fixed point
the higher is its voltage. This is both true to the different points given, in the positive and the
negative coordinates. However, the data in part B shows that distance is inversely proportional to
the voltage. The electric field inside the guard ring will travel in the same direction of the
magnetic field of the guard ring since it is in a circular shape. Consequently, the electrical field
inside the guard ring is traveling inside and it does not outrun it, it is like you put several other
rings onto the guard ring. The several rings signify the electric field.

CONCLUSION
Our group was able to study the nature of electric fields by mapping the equipotential
lines and then drawing in the electric lines of force or electric field lines which are always
perpendicular to each other. An electric field is an area where electric force is present while
equipotential lines are lines with equal potential.

For experiment 1, plotting the points with equal potentials produce a parabolic figure and
then the field lines are drawn intersecting the potential lines perpendicularly. For experiment 2,
we produce circular potential lines and so the electric field lines are all radii of the guard circle
and the other circles since we produce concentric potential lines.

Performing this experiment, it is concluded that equipotential lines are

proportional in strength with respect to the distances from the point source. Finally,
voltage is indirectly proportional to the distance from the point source.

ABSTRACT
Experiment no. 305 is about Electric fields and equipotential lines. The purpose of this
experiment is to experimentally investigate the relation between electric field lines of force and
equipotential surfaces in two dimensions. We will construct various conducting surfaces (metal
electrodes) and study the electric field and equipotential patterns associated with them.

INTRODUCTION
Electric field E is a vector quantity; it is defined as the force per unit charge that would act upon
a unit positive test charge if the charge were placed at the point in question. A line of force or
electric field line is the path a charge would follow if it were allowed to move along in exactly
the direction of the force acting on it. By convention, the sense of E is the direction of the force
on a positive test charge.
The potential difference, (between two points A and B) is defined as the work that would have to
be done in moving a unit charge from point A to point B. The sign of V may be positive or
negative. Work can be expressed as force times distance, where the force acting on the charge is
due to the electric field at the location of the charge, F = qE, and the distance is measured along
the direction of the force.
The calculus and non-calculus form of the equations which relate V and E are given below. The
electric field at a point is:

where r is a unit vector in the direction of greatest change in V. If Eq. (1) is integrated over l (or
both sides are multiplied by l), the potential difference between points A and B is found:

where dl or l are infinitesimal or finite, but small, line elements, respectively, along a given
path. Since the work done in moving a test charge from A to B (and consequently the potential

difference between A and B) is independent of the path for a conservative force, you can choose
a path which makes the integral or sum of Eq. 2 easy to evaluate. If you have studied calculus, it
is preferable to use the line integral.

For a constant E, as in the case of the parallel plate capacitor, V = E l cos .

Potentials are often defined relative to some standard reference point that is taken to be zero. The
reference point is often referred to as ground. The MKS unit of potential is joule/coulomb that
has been given the name volt. If a test charge is moved in a direction perpendicular to E, no work
is done (see Eq. 2). Therefore, there is no change in electric potential. Such a path is an
equipotential surface. Since there is a potential and electric field value at every point in space,
there is no limit to the number of field lines and equipotential surfaces. In this experiment you
will work in two dimensions to acquire a family of lines spaced at convenient intervals.

METHODOLOGY
The materials used were conductive papers, silver ink pen, corkboard, push pins,
connecting wires, circular template, digital multimeter and battery.
The experiment consists of two parts. One is Dipoles of Unlike Charges and the other
is Point Source and Guard Ring. On the first part, we take the cross hair of the paper as the
origin marking (0,10) and (0,-10) coordinates of the conductive paper using the silver link pen on
a hard surface. Then we placed push pins on the marked coordinates that serves as the electrodes.
We connect the electrodes to the battery using the alligator type connecting wires. Equipotential
are plotted by touching one probe of the multimeter to one of the electrode push pins. This will
serve as the reference. The other probe of the multimeter is used to measure the potential at any
point on the paper.

In mapping the equipotential line, we set at least 1 cm distance from the reference
electrode and start moving the probe to a desired potential indicated on the multimeter. Take note
of the x and y coordinates.

On the second part, we repeat the experiment using a different electrode configuration: a
point source and a guard ring. The point source is located at the origin of the conductive paper.
We set the radius of the ring to 7 cm. placing the push pins at the center and at (0,-7cm).