D22. Dipole in a Van de Graaff Generator Field

ELECTROSTATICS - Electric Fields

A dipole consisting of two conducting balls connected by an insulating rod swings at the end of a long plexiglass rod. The two balls are charged with opposite charge and the dipole is held in the field of a VdG generator. Going around the VdG, the dipole always aligns itself with the electric field. The charge on the dipole can be reversed and the demonstration repeated. This shows that the dipole is polarity sensitive.

 

 

 

 

Materials (Small Van de Graaff):

  1. Small Van de Graaff only
  2. Small copper bar mounted on plexiglass support
  3. Table clamp
  4. Small Dipole

 

 

 

 

 

Materials (Large Van de Graaff):

  1. Large VdG and small VdG generators
  2. Special copper bar mounted on plexiglass support
  3. Table clamp
  4. Large Dipole and large plexiglass tube with hook

Location: Room 4-309B, A2