I.

Introduction

The purpose of this experiment

was to use a voltmeter to
locate equipotential
lines between pairs of
differently shaped conducting
regions. Using the
equipotential lines that
were found, the electric field
lines can be determined.
The purpose of this experiment
was to use a voltmeter to
locate equipotential
lines between pairs of
differently shaped conducting
regions. Using the
equipotential lines that
Physics 12 Laboratory Report
1st Semester 2019-2020
Bicol University College of Science Physics Department
1
were found, the electric field
lines can be determined.
Capacitors or sometimes known as condensers, are energy-storing devices that is by holding apart pairs of
opposite charges and are widely used in televisions, radios, and other kinds of electronic equipment. Since
a positive charge and a negative charge naturally attract each other and want to come together, their mutual
attraction stores potential energy that is released if they are re-united when they are held a fixed distance
apart. Capacitors come in all shapes and sizes, but they usually have the same basic components. There are
the two conductors and there's the insulator in between them called the dielectric. The two plates inside a
capacitor are wired to two electrical connections on the outside called terminals. A capacitor can simply be
charged by wiring it up into an electric circuit and as the power is turned on, an electric charge gradually
builds up on the plates. One plate gains a positive charge and the other plate gains an equal and negative
charge. And if the power is disconnected, the capacitor keeps hold of its charge. But if the capacitor is
connected to a second circuit containing an electric motor or a flash bulb, charge will then flow from the
capacitor through the motor or lamp until there's none remaining on the plates. Adding electrical energy to
a capacitor is called charging while releasing the energy from a capacitor is known as discharging
(Woodford, 2019). A capacitor does not discharge quickly and thus, it is possible to find a relationship
between the charge that is stored in a capacitor’s capacitance, the voltage and current involved in the
discharge, and the time it takes to discharge.

In this activity, the relationships mentioned before will be examined among the different properties of
capacitors by using a 1000 μF capacitor throughout the activity. At the end of the activity, students must be
able to measure electric current and the time it takes a charged capacitor to discharge, to be able to
determine the amount of charge stored in a capacitor, and to know the relationship between potential
difference and charge for a given capacitance.

References:
[1] Woodford, Chris. (2008/2019) Capacitors. Retrieved from
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/capacitors.html.
[2] EETech Media, LLC (n.d). Capacitor Charging and Discharging. Retrieved from
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/experiments/chpt-3/capacitor-charging-and-discharging/

Physics 12 Laboratory Report

1st Semester 2019-2020
Bicol University College of Science Physics Department
2