Coulomb potential and Coulomb field of metal spheres

Principle

Conducting spheres with different diameters are charged electrically. The static potentials and the accompanying electric field intensities are computer-assisted determined by means of an electric field meter with a potential measuring probe, as a function of position and voltage.

Benefits

• Supplies non-hazardous high voltage
• Loss-less measurement of electric field strength
• High-sensitive electric field meter also suitable for electrostatic measurement of voltages

Tasks

1. For a conducting sphere of diameter 2R = 12 cm, electrostatic potential is determined as a function of voltage at a constant distance from the surface of the sphere.
2. For the conducting spheres of diameters 2R = 12 cm and 2R = 4 cm, electrostatic potential at constant voltage is determined as a function of the distance from the surface of the sphere.
3. For both conducting spheres, electricfield strength is determined as a function of charging voltage at three different distances from the surface of the sphere.
4. For the conducting sphere of diameter 2R = 12 cm, electric field strength is determined as a function of the distance from the surface of the sphere at constant charging voltage.

Learning objectives

• Electric field
• Field intensity
• Electric flow
• Electric charge
• Gaussian rule
• Surface charge density
• Induction
• Induction constant
• Capacitance
• Gradient
• Image charge
• Electrostatic potential
• Potential difference