Contour Map Help: Make & Label -50V to +50V Lines

[fredrick08]

Homework Statement

50V | /\
| / \
| / \
|/ \
0 |---1------2---3---- x(cm)
| \ /
| \ /
| \/
-50V|

best i could do, sorry don't know how to open picture up... its not to scale obviously but i think everything u need is there, i need to make a contour map of this function on the xy plane, 0=<x=<3cm and -5=<y=<5cm... show and label the -50V, -25V, 0V, +25V and +50V equipotential lines...

ive tried to understand what this means form other contour maps i have drawn, but i just don't understand what it wants me to do... can someone please help me, i would greatly appreciate a graphical representation. i know they have to be an equal distance apart but i don't understand the -5 and 5cm and have no idea what direction they in

 

[fredrick08]

omg sorry... it won't show up properly wat i typed...

 

[fredrick08]

 

[HallsofIvy]

your function appears to depend only on x. If that is the case then your contour map will consist of horizontal straight lines.

 

[fredrick08]

oh ok so they are just horizontal... that make more sense, ok well wat the -5 and 5cm in y dir mean? I am really lost there... so is it just 5 evenly spaced horizontal lines? but where bouts do they start and finish?

 

[fredrick08]

please can someone explain, my last question to me?

 

[fredrick08]

is this right then??

 

[fredrick08]

can anyone help?

 

[fredrick08]

ok I've been thinking, and i know wat I've done makes no sense at all, are the line meant to go in order, like they r in the graph??

 

[fredrick08]

ok i got no idea now... I've drawn that many maps... and i just can't seem to work out how the lines go? please someone help

 

[fredrick08]

maybe like this?? the values didnt come out rite they are meant to align with the horizontal lines.

 

[fredrick08]

please anyone?

 

[LowlyPion]

please anyone?

What is it you are trying to contour? From your drawings it is not clear to me. Perhaps that's why you've gotten so little response?

What contour lines are you trying to show? Iso-voltage lines on an xy map?

What is the table of data points you are supposed to map?

 

[fredrick08]

yes i know what u mean, I am trying to draw the electric potential contour map of the above function... i have no idea what this means... the first part of the question o had to find Ex vs x... which i did easy... but this part is confusing... apparently the equipotential lines are evenly spaced horizontal lines. but I am not 100% sure, but it makes sense it is just a linear graph

 

[HallsofIvy]

fredrick08, I made a rather foolish mistake. Since the values vary with x but not y, your contour map should be vertical lines not horizontal lines as I said before.


You should have, for example, a vertical line at x= 0 labeled V= 0, at x= 0.5 labeled V= 25, at x= 1.0 labeled V= 50, at x= 1.5 labeled V= 0, at x= 2.0 labeled V= -50, at x= 2.5 labeled V= -25 and at x= 3.0 labeled V= 0.

 

[fredrick08]

the questions says, also that the potential is independent of y and x.

Draw a contour map of the potential in the xy plane in the square region 0cm=<x=<3cm and -5cm=<y=<5cm, show and label the -50V, -25V, 0V, 25V and 50V equipotential lines... that is allt he question says... does it make sense??

 

[fredrick08]

sorry hallsofivy, i don't understand what u mean... but what do i do in the y dir... is -5 and 5 just numbers to make it look nice lol?

 

[LowlyPion]

I am trying to draw the electric potential contour map of the above function...

By that if you mean the zig zag up/down function in your first picture, then that function is invariant in Y. Hence as just pointed out by Halls of Ivy for any X the contour line in the Y will be straight up and down across all the values of Y. The values of those lines will follow the values of your "function". You will have a "0" contour that overlaps the Y Axis, a 50V line that runs up through 1, a "0" that runs through the X crossover of your function at 1.5, a -50 that runs through 2 and another "0" that runs through 3.

 

[fredrick08]

oh ok thankyou i understand now... sorry I am stupid lol

 

[LowlyPion]

the questions says, also that the potential is independent of y and x.

Draw a contour map of the potential in the xy plane in the square region 0cm=<x=<3cm and -5cm=<y=<5cm, show and label the -50V, -25V, 0V, 25V and 50V equipotential lines... that is allt he question says... does it make sense??

Oh and I see you will need to add the 25v and -25v intermediate lines between the 0 and 50v lines as well.

Good luck.