El-5 Visualisation of Electric Field Lines
Aim
To demonstrate the electric field line configuration for various pairs of electrodes.
Apparatus
- Whimshurst machine
- Castor oil
- Semolina
- Prepared electrodes
- Glass tray
- Overhead projector
Display of Electric Field Lines
Description
The chosen electrode plate is placed in the shallow glass dish containing a mixture of semolina and castor oil. The electrodes are connected to the poles of the Whimshurst machine which produces a high D.C. potential. The unit is placed on the overhead projector.
The semolina aligns itself along the lines of the electric field. The electrode configurations available are,