Question

Determine a formula that describes how potential varies between your plates as a function of position. Hint,Φ = kx What is k for your plates? What is its physical significance?

Here is my experimental data. I am at a total loss. Please help!!!

Distance (m)	Potential (V)
0.01	1.39
0.02	2.6
0.03	3.8
0.04	5.93
0.05	6.7
0.06	8.36
0.07	10.1
0.08	10.3

Answer 1

Capacitor  

parallel plate capacitor capacitance is  

C = epsilon_0*A/x

where epsilon_0 is permitivity of free space , A is area of each plates , x is separation of the plates

and the relation between charge , potential and capacitance of a capacitor is  

Q = C*V

V = Q/C

V = Q/(epsilon_0*A/x)

V = Q*x/epsilon_0*A

if the charge and the area of the plates are unchanged then as the distance increases the potential will also increase by

phi = kx , here k = Q/epsilon_0*A

from the data it is clear that as the distance increasing the potential is also increasing