Electric Field: Electric Fields & Potential
Purpose
To illustrate the electric field about a charged object and the electric force on charged
objects within that electric field.
Description
Bermuda seeds suspended in oil display electric field lines about a round object and a
square object.
- Attach leads from Wimshurst to the Field Visualizer situated on overhead projector.
- Separate discharge arms on Wimshurst and crank it up. NOTE: During this demo, all metal
parts, visualizers included, are highly charged, take care in handling this equipment.
- Observe the action of the burmuda seeds:
* Burmuda seeds are initially attracted to metal portions by
charge induction.
* Upon touching either side, individual seeds acquired the charge
of that respective side and is subsequently repelled by that side and attracted to the
other (oppositely charged) side.
* Some "seed charge bridges" are formed from one side
of the visualizer to the other.
* For the visualizer with the center rectangular
"terminal", note the difference between the field line densities at the
rectangle ends vs. sides.
Equipment
Med. Wimshurst, high voltage leads, Field Visualizers
Support Equipment
Overhead projector