A set of measurements was taken along a straight line that is perpendicular to two large

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences

Problem

A set of measurements was taken along a straight line that is perpendicular to two large, parallel, conducting sheets. The distance

y

is measured from the sheet that is defined to be at

y=0\,\text{cm}

. The electric potential at several points is shown in the table.

$y$ (cm)	0	2	4	6	8
$V$ (V)	+80	+60	+40	+20	0

Assume the space between the sheets is free of other charges. (a) Using the data, determine whether the magnitude of the electric field in this region is constant. Support your answer with numerical reasoning. (b) Indicate the direction of the electric field along the

y

-axis and explain how you arrived at that conclusion. (c) Describe how the orientation of equipotential surfaces in this region relates to the measured values and to the electric field direction. (d) If the observed trend continues, predict the electric potential at

y=10.0\,\text{cm}

and justify your prediction.

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