PASCO PK-9023 EQUIPOTENTIAL AND FIELD MAPPER - Manual (Page 9)

scientific 5
012-04346B
Experiments
The following are only some suggested experiments in
mapping equipotentials and field gradients using the PASCO
Field Mapper. The true value of the equipment, lies in its
complete flexibility permitting the user to design any system
of charged bodies and then to map the equipotentials and
field gradients.
NOTE: Only power supply connections are shown
in the following schematics. Voltmeter connections
are not shown because they vary depending on
whether equipotentials or field gradients are being
mapped.
Parallel Plate Capacitor
l d
Electrodes
DC
Source
Connecting
wires
+
Questions
What is the field outside the capacitor plates?
How does the ratio of the plate length (l) versus separation
(d) affect the fringing effect at the edges of the plates?
What redesign of the plates, or perhaps extra electrodes,
could help eliminate the fringing effect?
Point Source and Guard Ring
+
Questions
What relation can be derived between the distance from the
center of the point source and the equipotential value?
Would this same relation hold if the system were three
dimensional?
What purpose does the large outer ring serve in this experi-
ment?