EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND ELECTRIC FIELD LINES

Gabriela Pardo˚ , Luisa López ˚ , Marı́a Fernanda Trocha ˚ , Marı́a José Mesa˚
˚ Engineering student. gabrielain2010@gmail.com
˚ Engineering student. luisadelcarmen.lopezsanchez@hotmail.com
˚ Engineering student. mafetroca08@gmail.com
˚ Engineering student. mariajosemesar@gmail.com

Resumen—The experience 3 has as its main objective to

analyze the characteristics or properties of electric field lines
and equipotential lines and thus, analyze and better understand
the existing relationship between the potential and the electric
field. In order to do this, some basic knowledge about the
meaning of the terms used will be used and points will be
found on the proposed assembly where the difference in potential
is approximately equal to the theoretical voltage of the given
negative electrode. These points with coordinates (x,y), are
recorded in a table that depends on the type of electrode: if
they are parallel, of equal and different sign or concentric. The
above, making use of a digital multimeter, an electrical source,
a probe, a coordinate system and the assembly described in the
guide. And it will allow the comprehension of concepts that, in
turn, will facilitate the study of the behavior of the field lines
with respect to the equipotential lines and make a sketch of the
electrode circuits that were previously mentioned.
Index Terms—electric potential, electric field, surface equipo- Electrode:An electrode is an electrical conductor used
tential field lines, equipotential lines. to make contact and pass current to a non-metallic part of
an electrical circuit, resulting in a job. In it oxide-reduction
functions occur.

I. T HEORETICAL F RAMEWORK Equipotential surfaces:In a region where there is an

electric field, the surfaces where the electric potential (V) has
the same value are called equipotential. That is, the potential
difference between two points on an equipotential surface is
The difference of Potential(Voltage): The difference of zero.
potential or voltage is the impulse that needs an electric The properties of equipotential surfaces can be summarized
charge so that it can flow through the conductor of an electric in:
circuit, this current will cease when both points equal their -The electric field lines are, at each point, perpendicular to the
electric potential. Its unit in the S.I. is volt (V) equipotential surfaces and go where the potential decreases.
-The work to move a load between two points of the same
Electric Potential: Or simply Potential, is the potential equipotential surface is null.
energy per unit load at any point (all points) of an electric -Two equipotential surfaces cannot be cut.
field. ( V = U/q ) [Serway]

Electric field lines:They are curved lines parallel to

the electric field vector existing at any point in space.
They are not material objects, they are used as a graphical
representation to have a qualitative description of the electric
field, just draw a finite number of lines starting from each
load. There are special cases, but in general, they do not
represent the trajectory of a charged particle moving in an
electric field Electric field lines help visualize electric fields.
Similarly, the potential at various points in an electric field
can be represented graphically by equipotential surfaces.
 II. M ETHODOLOGY

-Set three voltage measurements at the D.C. output of the

supply panel for each of the electrode configurations.
-Establish a Cartesian coordinate system on the chart
paper by taking any point on the intersection of two lines.
These points must have the same or approximate potential
difference generated by the source and record their respective
coordinates in a table.
-Draw a continuous line through each set of points of equal
potential (equipotential lines) and label each line with its
respective potential.
-Perform the same process with all three electrode
configurations.

III. E XPERIMENTAL DATA

First assembly: Concentric electrodes

For the first assembly with concentric electrodes, the po-

tential differences with values of 7.86 ˘ 0.10V, 6.80˘0.004
V, and 4.230 ˘0.001V were sought, located in the following
points: Second assembly: Parallel electrodes
 Third assembly: Point charge electrodes with different
signs.

In the second assembly of parallel electrodes the poten-

tial differences to look for were3.050˘0.009 V,4.090˘0.003
V,5.760˘0.001 V,and 7.280˘0.002V, located in the following
coordinates:

For the third assembly with electrodes with different point

charges, the potential differences with values of 5.740˘0.001
V,4.790˘0.001 V, and 6.3000˘0.0002 V were sought, located electric potential places where the potential decreases.
in the following points:
Analysis of the field at one point
-The direction of the vector of the field drawn on the point
is justified since, so much direction and sense of this in the
electric field in a point is given by the direction and sense of
the force that experiments a positive load in that point and if
the source load is positive the electric field will be a vector
directed outwards, opposite case if it was a negative load.

-For a point, no more than 2 lines of electric field must pass

through, since this is defined in each point of space, that is,
each point corresponds to a single field vector. If we assume
that 2 field lines intersect, they would have 2 tangent vectors
at the point where they intersect, that is, two field vectors for
the same point which is illogical.
V. C ONCLUSION
Once the experience of laboratory number three was
completed, a much more notorious relationship was
established between the electric field lines and the
equipotential lines, in addition, it was learned to correctly
graph both for different configurations of electrons. Since
the potential energy does not change as a test load is moved
over an equipotential surface, the electric field does not work
on that load. From the above, it follows that it must be
perpendicular to the surface at each point so that the electrical
force is always perpendicular to the displacement of a load
moving over the surface.
IV. DATA A NALYSIS
Analysis of the lines During the development of this practice, we understood
The criterion used to draw the electric field lines was to take with greater clarity the concept of equipotential lines, these
previously acquired knowledge in class about electric field being the graphical representation of equipotential surfaces,
and electric field lines. which are three-dimensional surfaces with the same electrical
To draw the electric field lines the following rules are potential value.
followed by agreement:
- Taking into account that near a positive charge, another -Regardless of the electron arrangement, low voltage
positive charge is repelled, then it is deduced that the electric equipotential zones are established around the negative
field force lines çome out.of the positive charges, while they electrode zone; as we approach the positive electrode, the
”dieı̈n the negative ones. voltages begin to increase until they are almost the voltage of
- It is known that the lines of force reach negative charges. the source.
- In order to maintain a homogeneous criterion, a number
of lines of force proportional to the value of the load were -Equipotential lines tend to be the same shape as rod
drawn. electrodes, equipotential lines tend to be parallel to it. For
- The lines of force were drawn symmetrically around the a circle or dot electrodes, lines tend to be concentric with a
loads. larger radius.
- The lines of force cannot be cut because otherwise, at
the point of intersection, the force experienced by a load -At any point on an equipotential surface, the field vector
located there would have two possible directions, which is is perpendicular to it.
not possible.
-With this laboratory, we were able to put into practice the
The direction of the electric field lines is justified since their use of devices such as the digital multimeter, however with
representation is two-dimensional, therefore the field lines the materials supplied in this laboratory we were able to put
can be said to range from positive to negative charges. It into practice the concept of equipotential surfaces as they are
can also be said that the direction of the electric field lines not visible but are known to exist.
is directed from the place with the highest concentration of
 VI. R EFERENCES
Sears, F. W., Zemansky, M. W., Young, H. D., Vara, R.
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Serway, R. A., Jewett, J. W., Hernández, A. E. G., López,

E. F. (2002). Fı́sica para ciencias e ingenierı́a (No. 530 530
S4F5 2002 S47F5 2002). McGraw-Hill.

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Lı́neas equipotenciales [online] [Citado Marzo de 2016]:
https://electromagnetismo2011b.wikispaces.com/file/view/Informe+
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Martı́n, Teresa. Campo eléctrico. Lı́neas

eléctricas [online] [Citado Marzo de 2016]:
http://acer.forestales.upm.es/basicas/udfisica/asignaturas/fisic
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