Question

Begin with a single point charge and use the voltage plotting tool to create an equipotential curve around the point charge. Use an orange electric field sensor to investigate the relationship between the direction of the electric field and the orientation of the equipotential curve. Are the two parallel or perpendicular, or do they have some other more complicated relationship? Does this relationship hold for more complicated arrangements of charge, dipoles, and quadrupoles?

l

Recall the definition of work: work = F∙cos(θ)∙Δx. Work can, of course, be done not only by the force of gravity but also by electrical forces. The definition of work done by electrical forces is

Work = (q ∙ E) ∙ cos(θ) ∙ Displacement

Given your observations, speculate on the work required to move a very small test charge along (parallel to) an equipotential line.

Answer 1