In an experiment, I drew two small electrodes on a piece of carbon paper then a large electrode around the perimeter of the paper so it formed a box around the two.
What distortion of the field is produced by the large electrode around the perimeter of the paper?
down hill
since the perimeter is at a constant potential, all E lines will be perpendicular to it.
Thank you Bob, that makes a lot of sense
To understand the distortion of the electric field produced by the large electrode around the perimeter of the paper, we need to consider the principles of electrostatics.
When conducting an experiment with electrodes and a current flowing through them, the electric field is generated by the charges on the electrodes. The electric field lines indicate the direction and strength of the field.
In the setup you described, where there are two small electrodes and a large electrode forming a box around them, the large electrode will affect the electric field in a particular way.
1. First, let's consider the two small electrodes. When a voltage is applied across them, electric charges will accumulate on their surfaces. This will create an electric field between the two electrodes, represented by the electric field lines.
2. Now, let's focus on the large electrode. Since it forms a box around the two small electrodes, it will act as a shield, modifying the electric field in its vicinity. The presence of the large electrode will cause the electric field lines to bend or distort near its surface.
3. The specific distortion of the electric field depends on the shape and configuration of the large electrode. In this case, since the large electrode surrounds the two small electrodes, it will likely cause the electric field lines to curve inward towards the center of the box, away from the large electrode's surface. This is because the charges on the large electrode will create an opposing electric field that affects the field lines.
Therefore, the distortion of the electric field produced by the large electrode around the perimeter of the paper would result in the bending or curving of the electric field lines near its surface, away from the large electrode.