How can I measure electric field strength for my coursework extension?

In summary, the conversation revolves around finding a way to prove the formula E = V/d through an extension of a previous experiment on Millikan's oil drop. The proposed method involves using a large voltage supply and two metal plates to measure electric field strength. One suggestion is to measure the voltage of a magnet and the distance between the plates as a baseline, and then use a charged object and a spring meter to measure the force. Another suggestion is to use knowledge of the mass and charge of an electron to determine the electric field. There is also a suggestion to use an electric field sensor from PASCO. Some questions arise about the need to measure the voltage of a magnet and how to charge an object with a known amount of charge. The response
  • #1
jaderberg
30
0
I need to do an extension to a piece of coursework so i thought that a good one (which relates to my initial experiment which was millikans oil drop) would be to try and prove simply that E = V/d. I have about an hour to do it in...does anyone have any ideas how i can go about this?

I can get hold of a very large voltage supply and two metal plates but i don't know how to measure electric field strength...any ideas?
 
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  • #2
You could measure the voltage of the magnet, and the distance between the plates as your baseline for the formula. Then you could put a charged object inbetween the plates and with a spring meter, measure the force, and show that only an electric field with a magnitude of V/d would cause the force that was put upon the charge.
 
  • #3
yeah this is kind of train of thought i was thinking of but some questions:
why would i need to measure the voltage of a magnet?
also what object could i use and how could i charge it with a known amount of charge?
 
  • #5
jaderberg said:
yeah this is kind of train of thought i was thinking of but some questions:
why would i need to measure the voltage of a magnet?
also what object could i use and how could i charge it with a known amount of charge?

Well, the reason you would need to measure the voltage would be to help prove the formula, as in, you need the initial electric field, and you would use that to show that it would be that electric field that creats the certain force.

Charging is simple if you have the correct materials. If you can simply get an object that can hold a charge, hook it up to a power source and use a multimeter to measure the charge on the object (I hope you have a multimeter).
 
  • #6
robphy this is just an extension thing on top of my millikan experiment (which i already have results for).

maths jeans: oh right, i just didnt really understand where the magnet came into it. say if i used a small sheet of plastic and charged it, wouldn't connecting a multimeter remove the charge?
 

What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical quantity that describes the influence of electric forces on a charged object. It is represented by a vector, which has both magnitude and direction.

How is electric field measured?

Electric field can be measured using a device called an electric field meter, which measures the strength of the field in volts per meter (V/m). Another way to measure electric field is to use a voltmeter and measure the potential difference between two points in the field.

What are the units of electric field?

The units of electric field are volts per meter (V/m) in the SI system. In other systems, it can also be expressed as newtons per coulomb (N/C) or volts per centimeter (V/cm).

What factors affect the strength of an electric field?

The strength of an electric field is affected by the magnitude of the charge creating the field, the distance from the charge, and the medium in which the field exists. The direction of the field is determined by the direction of the force on a positive test charge.

Why is measuring electric field important?

Measuring electric field is important in many areas of science and technology, including electricity and magnetism, electronics, and telecommunications. It allows us to understand and manipulate the behavior of charged particles and can help us design and improve a variety of devices and technologies.

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